


To Own A Seraphim

by AwokenMonster



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Andy is twisted, Angel and Demon AU, Angel!Patrick, Breaking Benjamin, Bring Me The Horizon - Freeform, Cobra Starship - Freeform, Demon!Andy, Demon!Joe, Guess who the Emperor is, Hell's hierarchy's filled with bands I like, Hollywood Undead - Freeform, M/M, Panic! at the Disco - Freeform, Pet, Skillet, Slow Burn, The Cab - Freeform, Thousand Foot Krutch, Three Days Grace, demon!pete, imagine dragons, my chemical romance - Freeform, set it off, starset, twenty one pilots - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 00:13:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 48,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13535556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwokenMonster/pseuds/AwokenMonster
Summary: Angel and Demon AU. Patrick is a Seraphim class angel, the highest rank, but he has got something the Emperor of Hell needs. Pete is a Seeker class demon, his sole purpose is to track down creatures for his superiors. When the Emperor assigned him to hunt down Patrick, Pete didn't expect to be rewarded with Patrick himself. There was something appealing about the idea though; to own a Seraphim.M rated for future chapters.Demon!Pete/Angel!PatrickFocused on Fall Out Boy.





	1. The Last of A Dying Breed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! So this is the infamous story I've been working hard on. Every chapter will be about 2,5k words which is about... twice as long as a usual chapter for me. I did my research on terminology, I tried to improve my vocabulary, I researched Hell's hierarchy, looked for mood picture and stuff. Needless to say, I worked HARD. I'll explain Hell's hierarchy in the next chapter when the Emperor makes his appearance. I was gonna post this after asking Juuna to beta it but she's been absent all month and I'm not even sure if she'll be back so... sorry, Juuna? I had to post it to keep my motivation to work on it. Enjoy!
> 
> Demon radio is a telepathic bond between all demons, by the way, not an actual radio.
> 
> If some of the character tags don't make sense, it's because it's referring to future chapters

Joe bowed his head submissively and scrunched his nose as he looked at the vile floor.

It was covered in all sorts of wrongs. Most of it was just dust, splinters and pieces of glass scattered but there were needles, cigarette butts and used condoms here and there as well. It was truly a vulgar place. The rather large warehouse had been abandoned for years, only deteriorating more and no one seemed to care about it. The windows were broken, some covered by planks. Most doors were hanging loose from the hinges, dangling against the graffiti-covered walls. There were splatters of blood here and there as well. If only walls could talk, they’d probably suffer from PTSD.

Upon following unsteady iron steps of a loose staircase, they had found a small room. It was far cleaner than any other part of the building so they had settled there for the moment. Only the wicked would find shelter in this place. Then again, they were spawns from Hell.

It was just the three of them in that hell hole as they didn’t want to draw too much attention from the humans. The fragile damaged tables in the middle were covered with weapons they might need to hunt down whatever creature they were looking for.

“Have you found him yet?” Joe asked. He couldn’t help but note his own impatient tone towards his superior and it left him wondering if he’d get punished for it. He wasn’t sure.

It all depended on Pete’s mood. The demon wasn’t listening. He was lost inside his own head, scrolling through endless tabs of demon radio information on where to find the subject of interest. If he could find this creature, the Emperor would be tickled pink. It was a challenge, being appointed to a job like this and he couldn’t say he wasn’t flattered when he received it. He was a seeker rank demon, his sole purpose in Hell was to find creatures for his superiors or whoever was willing to pay him but recently he’d been appointed to be the Court’s Seeker. The Emperor’s personal tracker. To receive this as his first assignment? It was worth looking into.

“Sir?”

Pete looked up and cast a glance at his first knight, mildly annoyed by the interruption. “What is it?”

“Have you found the angel yet?” Joe repeated, feeling self-conscious as those looming red eyes took him in. He could see right through his non-existent soul, into the very core of his being. Joe lived solemnly to serve the seeker. He had been a warrior class demon, just a face in the crowd of creatures when Pete had appointed him as his first knight and therefore the commander of the warriors serving beneath the Emperor of Hell.

It was better than being a low-class warrior and much better than being a slave like the human souls. Joe was dedicated and Pete liked that about him. There were too many demons out there who’d love to see the seeker die. Well… disappear, he wasn’t exactly alive. Just a simple demon roaming the surface of the Earth in his human disguise for the time being.

Until they found the damn angel and they could return home, return to Hell’s castle.

“If I find the angel, you’ll be the first to know”, Pete responded monotonously with a sharp agitated edge. He returned to the demon radio but knew the knight wouldn’t stop talking so he split his attention to focus on both.

And he didn’t stop. “I apologize, master. Why exactly are we looking for this creature?”

“He’s a Seraphim”, Pete explained, voice raising at the end, but something told him that his subordinate would not understand why that explanation held enough significance to answer his question. Hunting down a Seraphim was dangerous. They were the elite of Heaven. The highest class, equal only to the Archangels.

Were they looking for an Archangel?

Joe could see the second knight glancing at him nervously, probably asking him to shut up already and not ask any further questions but the first knight wasn’t the best at taking hints.

“Why are we lo-…”, the glare Pete shot him made his sentence halt halfway. The black-haired man hummed, trying to figure out what line of whispers to follow as he tried to track him down. Which one would lead to _him_?

“It’ll all explain itself once we capture him. I promise you that. Though you should keep those curiosities to yourself. The Emperor doesn’t like nosey demons.”

Joe nodded respectfully and kept his mouth shut during the rest of the search, facing the second knight who only shrugged in response. Andy had no idea either why they were looking for a high ranked angel either. He was toying with a small knife, twirling it in between his fingers.

The Emperor must have a lot of faith in Pete if he’d burden him with such an important task. Then again, Pete was the best seeker of Hell.

“Gotcha”, Pete grinned, the red glow in his eyes fading into the human dark brown with green flecks in it. He whipped his head to both his inferiors. “Let’s play fetch, knights.”

Andy stuck the angel blade he had been playing with into his side holster but Pete clicked his tongue in a sound of disapproval.

“Hurley.”

Andy’s shoulders tensed. Would he ever stop using his mortal name? The demon absolutely despised any references towards his human life. Andy had been one of the rare human souls to become a demon, a warrior class and later the second knight of seeker Pete. The way he wielded the angel blades, was one of the signs he was more than capable of protecting his superior from harm.

As the monster he had become, torturing dead souls, it wasn’t hard to guess why he’d like Pete to stop using his human surname. He had left that life behind.

He supressed a huff as he faced the man.

“You won’t need that blade”, he said.

“Sir, we are hunting a Seraphim. I should come prepared and be able to kill him if need be, should I not?”

Pete shook his head. “It won’t work on him and we aren’t allowed to kill him either. He is far too important. Take it with you for good measure but only use it when he’s getting away.”

Andy nodded.

The seeker made his way over to the two tables in the middle and looked at the weaponry covering it. He hummed as he let his fingers slide over endless possibilities and stopped at the ethereal cuffs to throw them at Joe. “You’ll need this to keep him from teleporting or flying.”

Those cuffs could hold down any ethereal being and keep them from any form of transportation, whether it meant teleportation or exorcism.

“Can’t we use the angel ties?” Joe argued but Pete held his hand up. “You’ll get your answers once we bring him in.”

The knights didn’t question his actions. The best seeker of Hell would know what to do after all, right? He packed the rest of the weapons into a bag he swung over his shoulder.

“Where are we headed?” Andy asked.

“Chicago. The stupid angel is down at a chapel, spying on a small crime sinner begging for forgiveness. Honestly, why do these feathered idiots bother with matters below their rank. Seraphim’s aren’t supposed to meddle in human busin-…”, Pete caught himself trailing off when both his subordinates stared at him in confusion.

Right.

These demons had no idea how things went in Heaven, unlike Pete. He had been far too familiar with the Seraphims.

“We should head out before we miss him”, Pete found his voice again as he snapped out of his absent state. The pair bowed their head as their boss walked past them out the door and down the metal stairs. He kicked away a few broken pieces of wood out of the way towards the exit, the two demons trailing behind.

Outside he glanced at them. “Follow my energy if you don’t wanna get lost.”

The pair nodded once and vanished into thin air with the other. Black smoke flying upwards in a continuous stream, landing on the curb in Chicago.

The streets were empty, as you’d expect in the dead of night. There wasn’t a single soul in their right mind out at this hour. Only the regretful wicked found comfort in a chapel at this time of the night, asking for forgiveness when they would’ve just committed a crime or if they wanted to change their dark pasts into a brighter future.

They were foolish enough to think that anyone would ever reach down from their holy throne to help them out. No one ever looked down to help, people only ever looked up to receive help instead. They say it’s give and take but with this world, it was take and take more.

“What’s the plan?” Joe asked, trying to keep up with Pete as he walked at a fast pace towards a small chapel, standing out against the industrial buildings. Somehow this piece of holy ground had been left untouched. Finding the coordinates to teleport to, had been nothing.

Most demons would mention them on the demon radio to keep them from entering since the angel could be highly dangerous but to Pete, it was an invite to close in on his prey.

“I’ll distract him. You’ll cuff him once he’s letting his guard down. Hurley will check the backdoor to keep him from escaping, should you mess up.”

Andy tilted his head in understanding.

“If you must, use the angel blade”, Pete continued. “It won’t kill him but it’ll throw him off.”

“How will it not kill a Seraphim? It was smitten for them”, the knight argued, knowing very well he was stepping out of line by questioning him but Pete shook it off. He’d let things like that slip by because they had a mission. “I told you. All will become clear.”

Without further ado, the trio split up and took up their respective positions. Joe slipped inside through the backdoor while Andy remained there. Pete stood before the large front doors. He didn’t swing them open dramatically. He just slipped inside so it wouldn’t alert the Seraphim too much. He probably couldn’t even sense the demon energy yet. They were too far away from him.

There was a human hunched over the altar on his knees, hands folded as he frantically prayed to the skies. It made Pete sick to his stomach to watch. A creature hidden in the shadows watched the human. The human couldn’t see him. He had to take on a human form if he wanted him to see. Angels weren’t supposed to be spotted by mortals.

Joe slipped behind a pillar on the side aisle, crouching where neither the angel nor the human could see him.

 _It’s a demon?_ , Joe whispered through demon radio.  
Pete bit back an annoyed snarl. _No. Watch._

Pete knew it was time to make his move. His knights would hesitate if he didn’t prove it was an angel soon.

“Patrick.”

The creature in the shadows whipped its head up, bright blue eyes of pure energy squinting. There was no face to be seen yet. The human stood to full height and turned around surprised, a little scared maybe. He stuttered too: “W-who are you?”

“Someone you don’t wanna meet this late. Get out”, Pete growled, flashing his red eyes at the human who scurried away frantically, muttering something about having seen the Devil himself. Flattering but no, Pete was merely a servant of the devil, the Emperor. Maybe he could reach that position one day but now certainly not.

“How do you know my name, critter?” the blue eyes spoke, picking up on the hostile energy of Hell radiating off Pete’s body. Pete’s energy was far stronger than the knights’ thanks to his seeker class. It offered him the advantage of keeping Joe’s hidden. He wouldn’t see him coming.

Pete cocked his head. “Step out into the light so we can talk, Patrick.”

The angel had to step out of his hiding place. He was standing in the sanctuary near the altar. Pete had to get him to step into the outer edges of the pulpit, near the aisles.

Patrick took the shape of a human. A somewhat chubby man with ginger-blonde hair, sideburns and glasses. Wait, was that a fucking fedora? It wouldn’t have been Pete’s first choice but the disguise had something cute.

Something innocent.

How very angelic of him.

He stepped down the steps of the altar towards the demon. “I don’t wish to engage in a conversation with a demon. I’ve heard stories about you.”

“Intriguing. I’ve heard stories about you too.”

Patrick’s eyes seemed to glow in the dark. An endless swirl of ocean waves, leaving him to drown and drown and... “You’re a threat to Heaven.”

“Flattering”, Pete stated with a mildly annoyed tone. “But I find it interesting that you’re not interested in a conversation, _Seraphim_.”

The blonde man furrowed his eyebrows, clearly taken aback Pete knew his rank. The shock was enough for him to lower his guard. The church lights shone upon him. Just a tiny sparkle of light reached his back, revealing the outlines of his perfect translucent wings. Must’ve been a loss of concentration.

Pete felt a pang of jealousy but he shrugged it off.

“Why is that?” Patrick asked, recovering from the shock and finally stepping out of the sanctuary. They could catch him now.

Pete grinned, revealing his sharp canines. “I know _what_ you are. I sensed your demon cloak. If I were an idiot, I would’ve fallen for it.”

The seeker praised himself for the subtle stab at Joe’s earlier comment. He hoped the knight would jump him soon because there was no way he could send out a signal to him through demon radio without it getting intercepted by the angel.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about”, Patrick claimed, seeming genuinely confused with hunched shoulders. Now was Joe’s chance.

Pete glanced at the curtain, flashing his eyes at the knight who snuck out quick and stealthily, materializing his human form behind the angel and clasping one cuff around his wrist before Patrick turned around abruptly and began trashing blindly as he realized it was a trap. He revealed his wings, white bright feathers made of the purest energy. It burned their eyes but they shielded them with their hands. If only they had brought sunglasses.

“Don’t let him get away, Joe!” Pete called out, charging at the angel to tackle him but he wouldn’t budge. “HURLEY!”

Andy ran inside on command and spotted the angel as he flapped his wings once, stretching them out far from his body and lifting him up off the ground. Pete kept him from flying off while Joe still tried to force his one arm back and cuff him entirely. Only then would the ethereal spell work on him. It paralyzed all ethereal ways of vanishing. Including wings.

The second knight pulled out his angel blade, running at Patrick and tearing the knife through his right wing. The angel screamed in agony and sunk to the ground as his right wing became immobile. There was a hole where the knife had been, blood gushing out and painting the white feathers red. The edges of the wound charred. It was the effect an angel blade had. If Patrick were an actual angel, he’d be dead now and his wings would be a heap of ashes scattered around him in a halo.

Only he wasn’t just another Seraphim.

In his weakened state, Joe managed to catch his other wrist and cuff him entirely. An electric current ran through his wings, eliciting a strangled growl from the angel. Joe kicked him in the back of his knees, forcing him into a kneeling position before Pete who dusted himself off as he neared him. The angel had stopped trashing, stopped fighting. He bowed his head, seemingly defeated but Pete remained cautious.

He traced a careful finger along his cheekbones. That made Patrick look up, blue eyes still shining with a burning ember in his heart. He drew the line down to his chin, into his neck and along his shoulders to his wings. He earned a shiver in response.

“Why? Why would you capture _me_?” Patrick asked, a look of pure innocence on his face like he had no idea why. Pete almost fell for the act. Those eyes were nothing but blue deceit.

The seeker didn’t even feel the slightest of pity for him as he jammed his fingers into the bloody hole of his wing, earning a pained howl. “Because, Patrick”, he crouched so they were face to face, whispering: “You’re the last of a dying breed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel


	2. Emperor's New Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I'm posting this chapter because I managed to finish chapter 3 and I'm almost halfway through chapter 4. I love the way this story's been received so far. I'm making this one count as my weekend update since I have a rather busy weekend. In this chapter I'm revealing a little bit of Hell's hierarchy so I'll briefly explain it here. Enjoy!
> 
> Hell's hierarchy in descending importance;
> 
> The Emperor  
> The Great Kings  
> the kings  
> The Great Princes  
> the princes  
> The Great Marquises  
> the marquises  
> The Great Dukes  
> the dukes  
> The Great Earls  
> the earls  
> The Court's Seeker  
> the seekers  
> the knights  
> The Great Marshals  
> the marshals  
> The Emperor's Guardians  
> the warriors  
> the human souls (slaves)

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Seeker demon Pete travelled down to Chicago with first knight Joe and second knight Andy to capture the Seraphim Patrick in the chapel. Yet there's something about the angel Pete's not telling them._

 

Pete did not think this through, that much they knew. The seeker paced back and forth in the pulpit of the chapel, careful not to enter the sanctuary so he wouldn’t burn. The sanctuary of a church was the only spot a demon couldn’t access. It was the last bit of holy ground in an unholy world.

Joe and Andy watched him from a distance, shifting uneasily on their feet as they didn’t know what to do or say. They didn’t dare whisper a question to each other as Pete might hear them and lash out.

Patrick remained on his knees in the middle aisle of the nave. He hadn’t said a word since Pete’s final explanation for his capture. _You’re the last of a dying breed._

His reaction had been a caricature of surprise, enlarging those impossibly big eyes and parting his lips. It had looked far too innocent and genuine. Pete wasn’t even sure if he could dismiss it as an act anymore. Patrick didn’t seem to know why he had been caught at all. It didn’t make sense. How would he not know? Did the Emperor make a mistake?

No, the Emperor made no mistakes.

Patrick _had_ to be the one they were looking for. Pete cursed himself that he allowed himself to be fooled by the angel’s appearance. The Seraphim was a liar with an act meant to fool demons and angels alike. He had to be.

“Sir?” Andy spoke, voice quiet and fragile.

Pete stopped dead in his tracks to look up at the second knight. “Yes?”

“How will we transport him to Hell?” he ducked his head as he asked.

Joe nodded to back him up and took a step forward. “Yes, I was wondering as well. We are far away from the Los Angeles gate. We can’t teleport him there while he wears the ethereal cuffs. We’ll-…”

Pete cut in: “We’ll have to find a gate nearby. I know.”

Joe shut his mouth, straightening his back with a respectful nod. He returned to his position next to Andy.

The seeker hummed. He really hadn’t come prepared and that idea bothered him. Nothing had ever managed to slip past his mind but somehow the whole mission to catch Patrick hadn’t been planned into detail. It was like he hadn’t been convinced they could pull this off but now they had and Pete hadn’t thought about a way to get him to Hell and present him to the Emperor.

He rubbed his temples while his thoughts wandered elsewhere. He needed information. He had to turn to his main source again if he wanted to figure a way to get to Hell.

_Gate to Hell from these coordinates._

He sent it out carelessly. The words floated into the air, past Joe and Andy who understood what he was trying to do. Pete stared at Patrick to see if he’d catch on as well but the angel didn’t move one bit. He didn’t seem to have heard the question sent out into the Netheral atmospheres of demon radio.

Before he could think about it, he already received the coordinates to the nearest gate. Pete moved his head towards the knights and nodded at Patrick. “You take him. I’ll lead the way.”

Andy grabbed Patrick’s left arm while Joe took his right. They lifted him to his feet. The angel willingly pushed himself upright. His knees were stiff from sitting and his actions were slowed. He was weakened by the wound of the angel blade. The superior healing factor of Heaven should’ve closed the wound in his wing and restored its functionality by now but an angel blade slowed it down which meant it would heal like a human stab wound.

He wouldn’t need his wings for now anyway. Patrick caught him staring at the wound. With a snappy attitude and a quiver of his shoulder blades, he made them transparent. That drew the demon back to reality.

He guided them through the aisles and through the front doors. They were lucky enough to do this at night. People wouldn’t have appreciated the sight of three men dragging along a cuffed one. Though they couldn’t see his wings in this invisible state, the sight of ethereal cuffs would alert suspicious mortals.

The streets seemed endless, sky-high buildings suffocating them and pushing the dark sky out of the picture. It took them far too much time to reach their destination for Pete’s likings. Further down the street was a park.

It was one of the final patches of untouched grass in the entire city. That was exactly where they were going. It wasn’t very big. It was just enough for kids to play during the day. It had a set of swings, a sandbox, a climbing frame and slide. It wasn’t much but it was more than you could hope for in a city like this.

On one of the swings sat a woman, moving her legs back and forth to sway back and forth softly. She looked as old as Pete’s human shape. Around the age of thirty. She had jet-black mid-length curls and sinful dark red lips to compliment her perfect curves in a tight jeans and leather jacket.

She cocked her head as she watched Andy and Joe drag along the angel, keeping her mouth shut firmly. She shifted her gaze at Pete, questioning him silently.

The seeker showed her his black eyes, not the red ones. Red conveyed a threat. Black was to reveal his demonic presence to other demons or angels.

The woman smiled, perfect white teeth, pleased with the gesture. She swung once more before she leaped off towards the men. “Looking for the gate?”

“Yes, we must get this Seraphim to the Emperor”, Pete replied.

She turned serious at the mention of the Ruler of Hell and bowed. “The Court’s Seeker. I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you.”

“It’s fine. Will you open the gate for us?” Pete requested, dismissing her mistake. She was nothing but a simple guard. It wasn’t her fault that she had never seen him before and therefore didn’t recognize him.

She fetched a stick out of the grass and drew a circle into the sandbox. She continued to draw symbols within the circle. “Go stand in the middle, please.”

Pete did as she asked. Joe and Andy supported Patrick to stand in the circle as well. The angel didn’t make a sound but his eyes curiously traced the patterns in the sand.

The guard drew a symbol in every corner of the sandbox and stepped back, throwing the stick into the grass again. She waved at them when the Earth shook violently.

The ground beneath them split open and swallowed them whole. It was like the gap would tear them to shreds, screams and desperate moaning from souls filling their ears. They were falling, harder and harder. They would crash into the ground. They would fall. They would burn! As quick as they had been falling, it was over. Just like that. The fear and desperation was gone. They were standing on solid ground, a red-brownish colour. There were cracks spreading through it but it seemed sturdy enough to hold the four men.

A path with jagged edges winded towards a grade-A horror film castle complete with sharp towers reaching for the blood red sky, covered in dark clouds. It was daytime in Hell. It was always daytime for Hell when it was night time for the mortals and vice versa. Even during the day the sky was dark. Just a clash of thunder and they would’ve landed in a classic vampire’s tale. Pete would’ve laughed at his own thoughts if he hadn’t been so anxious. They were late.

The unexpected setback of having to find a gate cost them too much time and Pete was afraid the Emperor would not be pleased.

“I still don’t understand”, Joe mused so the seeker wouldn’t hear him. Andy faced him. “What?”

“He said everything would become clear once we had the Seraphim. I still don’t get it. Why did we have to capture him and why didn’t we use the angel ties? Why didn’t the angel blade work?” Joe whispered.

Patrick watched him from his peripheral vision.

Andy shrugged as they dragged Patrick further along the path to the gates of the castle. “He also said the Emperor didn’t like nosey demons. Maybe we shouldn’t question him. The Emperor will explain, right?”

“Depends on his mood”, Pete jumped in with a grin, admitting he had been eavesdropping. The pair shrunk in shame but it only made Pete grin wider. It was amusing to tease his minions sometimes.

Before the gates stood two armed, undead guards. They were no demons, no twisted souls, no dead humans. They were skeletons, flesh rotting loose on their bones. Almost like they were humans from the reject bin.

The pair saw the four men walk their way and knocked their weapon onto the ground. The gates slowly creaked open, revealing a palace that looked far less rotten than you’d imagine for a castle of Hell’s supreme ruler.

The hallway was dark with few torches lighting the path onward. Patrick made wide eyes, looking around. It was obviously his first time in a castle like this. The dirt ground faded into a smooth black tiled floor. The walls and pillars were black as well but shiny enough to reflect their image on them. Red accents covered the pillars in beautiful patterns, stretching out over the floor as well. It almost looked like cracks but it was a nice effect for Hell’s castle.

Different for sure but what else could they expect of the Emperor?

A red carpet led them from the hallway towards the great hall were the Emperor was seated on a grotesque-looking throne. He leaned his head into his hand, a mischievous look on his face as he listened to something the Great King was telling him. The throne was surrounded by the kings of Hell, the princes to the sides, more hidden from plain sight. Closer to the throne stood the guardians of the Emperor. Truly a peculiar species with no free will. The entire hall filled with the elite of the castle, made it noisy.

They continued onward towards the Emperor, slowing in their steps to make sure he’d see them before they reached him. Pete’s eyes met with the Great Marquises’ but he quickly averted his own. He didn’t want to see the smug faces of the brothers. They were far too eager to get rid of Pete in the castle.

“Mikey is still staring at you”, Joe whispered.

Pete shrugged. “Let the Great Marquis stare at me. It would be below his rank to engage in a hostile conversation with me now.”

The Emperor noticed the four men on the red carpet and beckoned for them to come closer. His acknowledgement of their arrival stilled the conversations of the people surrounding them.

Pete could feel his nerves act up but now was not the time to become anxious. He had to strut his way towards the Emperor, look proud of his trophy.

He had every right to be proud. The audience was clearly impressed as well. He could hear whispers of _Is that a Seraphim?_ and _Pete the seeker caught a Seraphim?!_

He took pride in those comments. The Great King, Dallon, stopped talking to the Emperor. His eyes looming as he faced our way. There used to be a different Great King and Dallon used to be just another king of Hell but somehow he had been granted a higher position.

_Whatever happened to the Great King Ryan anyway?_

“Pete, you bring good news, I see!” the Emperor exclaimed as he rose from his throne with his arms spread wide. He walked down the steps of the throne. Dallon obviously didn’t like the move as he reached a hand out but let it fall to his side again when the Emperor neared them.

“Your Eminence, I apologize we kept you waiting. There were some unforeseen circumstances”, Pete said, bowing to one knee. Both Joe and Andy followed his gesture, still holding on to Patrick so he wouldn’t try to escape their grip.

The Emperor made a belittling sound. “Oh, it’s alright! You caught him after all. How can I scold you when you did exactly what I asked of you? Now stand up, seeker. You’re no lowlife demon”, the Emperor chuckled, the whole room followed his laughter until he held his hand up and everything returned to silence. “You’re the Court’s Seeker! That’s almost as important as”, he turned towards Mikey and Gerard.  “A Great Marquis.”

The pair smiled politely at their superior but when the Emperor faced Pete again, both smiles dropped into looks of utter disgust as they took Pete in. He knew he wasn’t nearly as important as the Emperor made him out to be but he was making things clear for the duo. They’d been pestering Pete and it was reassuring to find out that the Emperor supported him in their quarrel. Most likely because he presented him Patrick.

Why did the pair hate him anyway? Probably because of what he said… _I’m sorry I fucked your brother, oh Great Marquis Gerard._

_I’m sorry I fucked the maid too, Mikey._

He had to supress a grin. The Emperor’s attention shifted to the angel in between his knights. “You must be _Patrick_.”

The angel glared, blue eyes hostile.

“That’s not a very biblical name, now is it?”

Patrick snorted, speaking up for the first time since he was captured: “Neither is Brendon, _Your Eminence._ ”

The last part held enough venom to kill a horse.

Brendon only laughed in response, the hall following him once again. Pete could see the poor angel shrink into his skin.

“I have plans for you, little Seraphim”, Brendon continued with a smile. “Such great plans but not yet. It’s too soon. Until the time’s right, you will serve underneath Pete. Your pretty face will serve him well as his _pet._ ”

Pete blinked surprised but the Emperor smiled at him. “It’s your reward, seeker. Enjoy your pet. We’ll carry out the plans once phase one is completed.”

“Thank you, your grace!” the demon bowed, briefly spotting Patrick’s wide fearful expression.

Brendon waved dismissively. “Now take him to your chambers and dispose of these hideous human forms.”

Pete nodded once before the Emperor shifted his gaze towards the angel. It held something predatory. Patrick averted his eyes right away, the floor seemed more interesting.

Before the Emperor could say much more, Joe and Andy guided the angel away from the great hall towards the stairs. It took much more effort to get him to the top as he’d push away from each step, now fighting back. He probably sensed what was coming.

Once they managed to drag him to Pete’s room, they pushed him to his knees in the middle.

He wouldn’t be able to escape but Andy still held him down by pressing a hand down on his shoulder. Joe looked at Pete, seemingly puzzled. “I still don’t get it, sir. Why _did_ we capture this creature?”

Pete smirked and crouched before Patrick. “Because, Joe. Dear Patrick is not a full Seraphim.”

The angel’s head whipped up to gawk astounded at the seeker who grinned, revealing his predatory canines. “He’s a Nephalem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> I added the bands for Heaven in the tags. Can you guess which bands will be angels and which will be demons?


	3. Soul Punk Seraphim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! Oh my, it's been a long time since I updated this. I was really busy working on updates for my Hollywood Undead fics. Since I don't really have a lot of followers in the FOB fandom, I didn't think anyone would be waiting for this to get an update. If any of you are, I'm halfway through chapter 4 and still struggling to figure out the outlines of the plot. Next chapter will focus a lot on Patrick's thoughts. Enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete presented Emperor Brendon the Seraphim Patrick. Brendon granted Pete the angel as a pet to reward him. Pete revealed Patrick is not a Seraphim, but a Nephalem which is why Brendon wanted him caught._

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Patrick snarled but Pete grabbed his chin and dug his sharp nails into pale skin. “Do not disrespect me, Nephalem!”

The angel winced, shut his mouth but glared at the seeker through eyelashes.

“And don’t you look at me like that. It would be best for you to gain favour from me since you’ll be my pet for the next few weeks”, Pete warned him.

Patrick’s glare dissolved into a puzzled look and Pete let go of his chin, pushing himself upright. “You will respectfully address me with ‘master’ or ‘sir’. If you have nothing respectful to say, keep quiet.”

The seeker turned towards Andy and Joe. “You’re dismissed. I’ll speak to you both once I’m done with the angel here.”

The knights bowed and left the two alone in the chamber. The bedroom was fairly large but then again, every room in the castle was big to match the person’s status. He liked to think his room was far lighter than others. With black as their theme colour, Pete’s was more of a dark blue with a white ceiling and a dark wooden floor. There was a king-size bed to the right and a large couch forward on, the rest of the space filled with a small table, bedside tables a lamp here or there. To the left were a bathroom and a walk-in closet. There was a big mirror in between the two doorways. He had a huge window looking over Hell but the grey curtains were drawn shut. Paintings and pictures decorated the walls.

Pete locked his room, smiling mischievously at the angel. “Let me set some ground rules for you, _Patrick._ ”

Patrick closed his eyes and bowed his head. It was a submissive gesture, good. His words got through to him. Pete slowly walked around the man in a circle, pressing a hand down on his shoulder when he stood behind him. “If you understand, you will answer with ‘yes, sir’.”

He continued to walk in the circle, waiting for Patrick’s reply but he remained silent. When Pete reached his front again, he caught the angel glaring at him venomously.

“What did I tell you about glaring? Do you want me to tear off your wings? Don’t think I won’t. I’ve torn wings off an angel once, I can do it again”, he threatened Patrick who cast his glance down to the ground. “Yes, sir.”

It was degrading for him to talk to someone like that. They weren’t supposed to be owned by someone. They were no pets and it made it all more appealing to Pete. _To own a Seraphim._ Excuse him, Nephalem.

“You will not look me in the eye”, Pete began, continuing his circular path.

“Yes, sir”, Patrick muttered through gritted teeth.

“You do as I command.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You will not speak to anyone besides Andy, Joe and I. If the Emperor addresses you, you’re allowed to respond.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No curious questions. You don’t need to know everything.”

“Yes… _sir_.”

“That’s all for now. If you fail to obey me, remember that I can tear off your precious wings, one feather at a time”, Pete growled before disappearing into the walk-in closet. He rummaged in it until he found what he was looking for with a satisfied sound. It was a leather-clad iron band. Once he had it in his hands, he returned to Patrick. The angel curiously watched the object but he didn’t dare to ask what it was. He liked his wings. He didn’t want to break the rules within the first minutes.

“Lift your head.”

Patrick straightened his back and lifted his head when Pete leaned forward to clasp the object around his neck. It was a collar. “Did you just collar me?! I am a Seraphim, not a dog!”

The seeker bent down to free him from his ethereal cuffs so he could use his arms. He could move. _He could escape_.

“You’ll get used to it soon enough”, Pete promised him with a pat on the cheek. “It’ll serve as your new ethereal cuff. I’ve unleashed your handcuffs so you can move around more freely. It would be awfully boring to spend your time here while I’m gone.”

He couldn’t escape after all.

Patrick looked troubled so Pete waved his hand. “Go ahead. Ask.”

“Will you be away then?”

“I won’t be here all the time. I have work to do but you’ll stay in this room. If you need anything, speak to Andy or Joe. You’re my pet, not my enemy.”

The angel seemed confused by that statement but Pete distracted him by offering a hand. Patrick hesitantly took it and was pulled to his feet.

“Sit”, Pete asked as he pointed at the couch and the other took a seat. It was far more comfortable than the floor. His knees were stiffer than they had been back at the chapel.

“Why did you pick such a geeky looking kid as your human disguise?” Pete asked with a grin as he had the time to have a closer look at him now.

Patrick furrowed his eyebrows. “Excuse me? My human form is based on my angelic one, _master_.”

He should’ve lashed out at the angel for speaking so disrespectfully but Pete was far too amused by it to do anything. “You actually look like this?”

“A little different”, Patrick admitted.

The demon lifted his chin. “Show me. Dispose of your human disguise.”

The angel hesitated but complied anyway, lighting up as he shifted. Pretending to be human was tiring. He had been exaggerating when he said he looked like his human form. Sure, his facial features and height remained the same but he didn’t look like the geeky, chubby, glasses ginger-blonde with sideburns. No, his angelic appearance was slim, had perfect milky skin and bleach blonde hair combed to one side. Grey suit and black fingerless gloves. It was quite stunning. As you’d expect of an angel. “Are you staring, sir?”

He was mocking Pete.

“Show your wings too.”

“I’m not very comfortable showing them to you after what your minion did to it.”

“You shouldn’t have fought back if you didn’t want to get hurt”, Pete snorted and Patrick huffed. “You were trying to catch me. Of course, I fight back. I don’t even know what you plan on doing or why I’m here.”

Pete decided to ignore that. It was just an act, he told himself. Patrick IS the last Nephalem of Seraphim descent.

“Show. Me. The. Wings.”

Patrick flexed his shoulders with a huff, a white spark spreading from his shoulder blades to the tips of his wings as they appeared. The wound was an eyecatcher but it had stopped bleeding. The other feathers were still a crusty dark red. He had to clean that up before his next appearance to the Emperor. He had to take care of his _pet_.

Pete glanced sideways into the large mirror. His human form resembled a lot of his demon shape as well. As a human, he was dark-haired with a shade of a growing black beard. He got rid of the human suit and stared back at his demon self. His body structure was still lean, slightly muscled. He still wore the same leather jacket and his face remained the same but his skin was more fair, he had no beard and his hair was pitch black in a quiff.

“You shouldn’t walk around with blood on your wings. Come”, Pete requested, walking into the bathroom. Patrick got up and carefully followed his master to the sink. Pete gestured to all sorts of bottles and ways to clean himself up, neatly sorted by purpose. Hair products together, skin products together, soap sorted… Patrick looked surprised.

“I know what hygiene is, Nephalem, so wipe that surprised look off your face”, the seeker rolled his eyes.

The angel cast his glance at the floor instead.

“I’ll leave you to yourself”, Pete said. “Make sure you’re clean when I get back.”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, the demon stepped out of his room, carefully locking the door behind him so the Seraphim wouldn’t escape. He had yet to inform Andy and Joe of the upcoming tasks. As the Court’s Seeker he couldn’t just stay in his room all day and babysit Patrick.

That’s why he had his knights, right?

He made his way through the corridor, nodding friendly at the Great Dukes, Matt and Brad. Matt and Brad Walst, both used to be human souls in Hell but their resentment twisted them into demons. They certainly knew how to climb Hell’s hierarchy. There used to be a Great Duke Adam but the Emperor had him eradicated after an incident where he conspired against the throne.

Matt and Brad said their congratulations to Pete with his catch and he smiled back kindly before he hopped downstairs into the side of the great hall.

It was now empty. The Emperor had clearly only gathered his followers there to witness the arrival of Patrick. Brendon sat on his throne, Great King Dallon spoke to him. They were laughing about something.

The other kings – Brent, Jon and Spencer – weren’t there. He turned right into the hallway and out the gates of the castle. If there was any place he’d be able to find his knights, it would be at the stables. Both demons loved to take care of the Emperor’s horses and always thought the marshals didn’t do a good job. He couldn’t blame them.

The hellhorses looked their best whenever Joe and Andy were around. Fair enough he found Joe feeding the Emperor’s horse. Andy was cleaning out the stable next to it.

Andy walked out of there to start on the next one when he looked up to find Pete standing there. “Master! How’s the angel?”

Joe turned to Pete as well.

“Fine. I locked the door on my way out. He’s cleaning his wings. I need to burden you both with a task.”

“Anything, sir”, Joe replied.

“I need one of you to be in the room with him and one of you to accompany me on upcoming missions. The Emperor may have granted me a pet, but he didn’t grant me a holiday.”

“We understand”, Andy replied. “I’ll be with him first and we’ll switch every day after that.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea”, Joe agreed. “You probably want to spend your time on him today?”

“I do”, Pete said. “I’ve asked Patrick to speak to you both if he needs anything.”

“We’ll take care of it, sir”, Andy promised.

“Good, but he can’t leave the room. I don’t want the Great Marquises to get to him while I’m away”, Pete warned them but they shook their head. “No, sir.”

Before the seeker turned his back to them, Joe said: “Master?”

“Yes?”

“Earlier, you said Patrick was a Nephalem, not a Seraphim.”

“I did.”

Joe shrugged. “What’s a Nephalem?”

“Haven’t you heard?” Pete asked surprised but both Joe and Andy shook their head. Not everyone seemed to know the species called Nephalem. “The Nephalem are an illegal species. They’re the child of a demon and an angel.”

“A hybrid?”

“Yes. It possesses both angelic and demonic powers and its energy is both Aetheral and Netheral.”

“So that’s why he felt like a demon in the chapel”, Joe muttered.

“Or why the angel blade didn’t have its full effect on him”, Andy filled in.

Pete nodded. “Also why we need ethereal cuffs. Angel ties would’ve kept him from flying and teleporting but the demonic ways of transportation wouldn’t have been blocked.”

“Everything does make sense now but how would an angel and a demon ever have a child?” Joe wondered.

Pete shrugged. “Angry enemy sex? All I know, is that he’s part Seraphim, part warrior class demon.”

“He said he wasn’t though”, Andy muttered.

“Obviously a lie.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know he’s a Nephalem? He looks like a Seraphim”, Joe offered and Pete hadn’t considered that yet. Maybe Patrick had no idea he was a Nephalem… He seemed pretty adamant about not knowing why he’d been captured but if he didn’t know, he’d be useless to them. The Emperor needed a functioning Nephalem who could wield both powers. “Maybe.”

“What are your plans for him, sir?” Andy asked.

Pete frowned. “My plans?”

“He is your pet now, is he not?”

“Yes, but-…”, Pete hadn’t really thought about doing anything with it. The whole situation was rather unexpected. He hadn’t thought the Emperor would grant him this gift. “I suppose I could do a lot with an angel for a pet.”

“Imagine the things you could do to him. You could tear him apart”, Joe chuckled and Pete grinned as well. “Maybe. You and your obscene ideas. I think I’ll earn his trust. Be a good master before I expect him to obey absolutely everything. I’ll strip him down to his core. I’ll prove to you that these angels are worthless. Now, I should go back.”

The knights bowed before returning to their tasks at hand. Pete walked out of the stables back to the castle’s hallway and into the great hall.

“Pete!”

The seeker looked up to find the Emperor’s attention on him. He had called for him so he walked over the red carpet to him. Great King Dallon was nowhere to be seen but the Emperor’s Guardians surrounded him. They were skilled assassins who only obeyed the Emperor. They weren’t very talkative. Pete had never even spoken to them but he knew the one with the “3” in his neck was called Johnny and the blonde was Danny. All of them would kill at sight for Brendon. No mercy.

When Pete had earned his spot in the castle, he had heard rumours about the Guardians. The Emperor had cast one of them out of the castle only days before Pete arrived. They say Brendon suspected Deuce loved the other guardian, Jay, so he ordered Deuce to kill him. He disobeyed. Guardians weren’t supposed to care about anyone else than Brendon.

“Your Eminence”, Pete greeted the Emperor with a bow.

Brendon smiled, head leaning in his hand. “I’m very happy with your achievement, seeker.”

“Yes, you made that clear with your gift, sir”, the demon replied.

The other hummed. “I know that but I feel like it’s not enough. You managed to catch Heaven’s last Nephalem of Seraphim descent. The only one of his kind that got away during the annihilation of the species! He’s the last of the real ones!”

Pete kept his head low. “Then what do you propose, sir?”

“I’m throwing a feast tonight in your honour. Bring the Nephalem. You’ll want to show him off to the higher ranks”, Brendon winked.

The seeker chuckled. “Thank you, sir.”

“You’re dismissed”, Brendon waved and the seeker demon left the great hall to walk upstairs, meeting the Great Princes, Josh and Tyler, on the way.

He walked to the end of the corridor and unlocked his room. Patrick had his back turned to the door, staring out of the window at the impressive view of Hell. His white wings were spread wide. Seraphims were known for very large wings, yet he could fold them neatly to his body. “Patrick.”

Patrick turned to face Pete, tucking his wings closer to his body and made them vanish. Angels had the ability to make them transparent but it also meant you couldn’t touch them. It was like they were gone but Pete knew how to make them appear. “Yes, sir?”

“You look more than ready for a feast”, Pete muttered as he gave the grey suit a onceover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!


	4. Looking For Angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! So I've had some pleas for me to update sooner and look, I am! I had a sudden surge of inspiration a few days ago and I've finished everything up until chapter 8. I got stuck there though so don't expect 5 chapters today or anything like that. Anyway, I know I probably forgot to mention this but I lost my beta. It's final. She's gone, deleted her stories and everything without a single goodbye. I was pretty upset over it but she was a great person and I hope she'll come back one day. Especially since her FOB stories were my favourite and now they're gone. God damn it. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy and if you haven't noticed, all of the chapter titles are references.
> 
> word count: 2,5k

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_While Patrick seems to deny he’s a Nephalem, Pete sets some ground rules for the angel and threatens to tear off his wings, should he not listen. Both Joe and Andy are completely clueless as to what a Nephalem is – the child of a demon and angel, capable of wielding both angelic and demonic abilities. The Emperor calls Pete to tell him they’re having a feast in his honour and that he should bring Patrick to show off his proud possession._

 

“A feast?” Patrick murmured, eyebrows furrowed curiously.

“They’re having a feast in my honour”, Pete explained, more than enthusiastic, as he dove into his closet and dug for suitable clothes for tonight. This was the perfect opportunity to try and climb the ranks with his most impressive captive so far. He shimmied out of his pants and into another he deemed presentable. The angel stared at his reflection in the mirror, fascinated and distracted. “Because you caught me?”

“Yes”, Pete said while he took off his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head. “What? Have you never seen a mirror before?”

Patrick whipped his head around, attention now focused on Pete. He blushed at the sight of his half naked master. “I-I haven’t. Mirrors contribute to vanity. I prefer not to see myself.”

“You don’t like looking at your own appearance? You have nothing to be ashamed of though. Mirrors could contribute to a positive self-image”, Pete snorted as he buttoned up his shirt. “Not everything has to be so damn negative.”

“Says the demon”, the angel muttered, earning a sharp glare. “Don’t test me.”

Patrick averted his eyes, a distant look in them. He seemed lost in thoughts when Pete neared him, hands adjusting the angel’s suit a little. The blonde pulled back, face away from the seeker and jaw clenched. He was shying away from his proximity.

“If you are truly a good servant of the Lord, you’re not supposed to respond to my touch”, Pete muttered. “Angels should be able to resist temptation or they’ll fall from grace.”

The Nephalem furrowed his eyebrows, something he did a lot in the last few hours. “Angels obey God’s will, no questions asked. I have always obeyed my superiors. No one ever told me anything about responding to someone’s touch.”

The demon grinned. He hit a nerve there. “No one? No one ever recited the bible to you?”

“The Bible is for humans”, Patrick snorted, hands coming up to push Pete lightly away. He’d been in his personal space for too long now. He didn’t like it but the seeker pressed closer until Patrick was backed against the window. “I don’t care what rules you were given in Heaven. I know exactly what to do to make sure the other angels would shun you, reject you and cast you out of your comfortable home. I can make sure you can never face them again.”

The threat was low, emphasized by Pete’s breath ghosting over Patrick’s neck. The angel clenched his jaw and tried to push him off but Pete was stronger than him. “Fighting me is futile. I’m stronger than you. I’m quicker than you. I could tear you apart, you hear me? Strip you of your angelic innocence. Do you understand?”

The blonde nodded shakily but Pete wasn’t satisfied. “Say it.”

“Y-yes, sir.”

The demon took a step back, releasing the Nephalem from his grip. “Good. I hope you’ll remember that at the feast tonight. I want you at your best behaviour so don’t try anything funny with me.”

“I won’t, sir”, Patrick murmured, eyeing his master like a frightened rabbit. “I will behave any way you want me to tonight.”

_Good._

Pete cracked a smile. “Great. Glad we’re on the same page. Remember I can tear off your precious little wings any time. I could do more than just that.”

He gave the angel a quick onceover with his hungry eyes and smiled wider. “I’m sure there are things you don’t want me to do to you. Things Heaven wouldn’t allow a holy creature to do.”

The angel’s breath hitched but he nodded, pleasing his master. Pete turned his back to him. “You should rest for today. Hell’s day is Heaven’s night after all, you must be exhausted. I want you to look your best tonight.”

Patrick supressed a yawn, feeling the sudden weight of his exhaustion press down on him. “Thank you, sir.”

“Take the bed. I’ll send someone to help you get ready before we leave”, Pete called out before he left the room and locked the door behind him. Patrick was all by himself in the large room. No one there to babysit him and Pete’s threat still lingered on his mind.

There were things he could do to him to ensure his banishment from Heaven. Even if the angel had resisted, engaging in certain actions with a demon would be enough to cast him down to Hell as a fallen. The idea petrified the poor angel. He could only hope his obedience would gain some sympathy from his master until he could return to his home.

Home seemed so far away now. Though he couldn’t let his hope die. Threatening him with Heaven’s banishment meant he wouldn’t be down here forever. The demon had his release already planned. It wasn’t permanent.

He wouldn’t die down here.

He wouldn’t spend the rest of his angelic existence in Hell’s castle, serving beneath the seeker demon who caught him. One day, he’d be free again. Home again and spread his wings wide. The idea alone helped him hold on to his sanity and obey the seeker’s every whim. It was a disgrace to follow orders as a Seraphim. The only few he had ever obeyed, were God himself and the High Council. Come to think of it, he had never met another Seraphim before.

He had been taken care of by a few Cherubim. Gabe Saporta and Oliver Sykes took the task upon themselves. They were kind but a little strict, maybe. They wanted him to train, to work hard on his powers. Develop them well.

Patrick just wanted to live.

It was too tiring to think about his entire existence so Patrick decided to follow Pete’s advice and catch some sleep. He laid his body to rest on the large, soft bed and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

 

***

 

The news about the feast at the castle spread like a wildfire through Hell. Only the elite were invited over to come celebrate the capture of the last Nephalem. This included the Great Kings, kings, Great Princes, princes, Great Marquises, marquises, Great Dukes, dukes, Great Earls, earls, knights, marshals and the Emperor’s Guardians.

It was no blessing to have the Emperor announce a party the day itself. A feast took a lot of preparing so the marshals had their hands full on setting tables and arranging a worthy meal. They needed all the hands they could get so it was no surprise the head marshal wasn’t pleased when Pete made his request.

“You want _us_ to help the angel?” John asked, folding his arms. He cast a glance at the female marshal helping him shove the chairs into place. She shrugged in response. The head didn’t look pleased at all. He used to be a human soul before his current position. Ironically, in his human life he used to sing in a Christian rock band. Joe used to pick on him for being stuck in Hell as a preaching human soul. That’s probably why the head disliked Joe and anyone to do with him. Including Pete and Andy.

Pete nodded. “Yes, His wing probably needs some medical care and he reeks of Aether. I want someone to help him get ready and I’m not doing it myself. In case you didn’t notice, this feast is in _my_ honour so why should I work for this?”

Korey rolled her eyes when John looked ready to punch Pete in the face. “John, stop. The seeker’s above our rank. We can’t deny his commands.”

She turned to the other. “I’ll take care of Patrick, sir. I’ll bring Jen and I’ll send down Seth to help John out.”

“Thank you, Korey! Someone I can talk to.”

John scrunched his nose but the seeker decided to ignore the gesture. Jen and Korey would take care of Patrick. Maybe Pete had to thank them by sending Joe and Patrick down to help. They would never be able to help the angel get ready. Their sense of aesthetics was questionable. Women knew more about how to ready him than Pete ever could.

 _Joe, Andy. I want you to help John and Seth,_ Pete sent out to his two followers.

Joe didn’t hesitate to reply. _The marshals? You want us to work with those assholes?_

Disgust apparent in his response. John whipped his head up. “Hey, _sir!_ Tone down your fucking minions. Demon radio is public.”

Leave it to Joe to cause tension while absent. Great. At least he could get some work done before the feast. He already slipped into the right clothes so now he could just sit down and figure out what assignments to take on next. Work would wake him early tomorrow so he’d better figure out what creature to hunt down for his superiors next. The more research he could get done, the less boring tomorrow would be. That was the most annoying part of finding these critters. He had to dig up information from the darkest places.

Let’s see. What possible tasks lay ahead?

 _Hunt down Seraphim Dustin._ Dustin Bates? He hadn’t heard from the Seraphim since… He wouldn’t take on that task for now. Maybe he could ask Joe or Andy to catch the man but he really didn’t want to face him again. He’d rather tell his superiors ‘no’ than face Dustin in his current form.

 _Human soul wanted._ Ah, classic story. Human makes a deal with Brendon – a deal with the devil if you like – by trading their soul but then they fail to obey when the Emperor wants to collect the souls ten years later. It was a boring task to go find the human and carry their sorry ass to Hell but someone had to do it, right?

In the meantime, Patrick could rest before the Skillet females would arrive to get him ready. Even if the suit was perfect for the party, he should definitely take a bath. He still reeked of Heaven odour.

Disgusting.

 

***

 

Patrick was wide awake, alert and ready to attack any intruders. He didn’t know what triggered it but it was an instinct he had acquired in Heaven. Always be cautious. Even if the pure creature had never understood the point of aggression, he was aware not everyone shared his peaceful opinion. They were out to get him, even if he hadn’t done anything wrong in his life.

Ironically, he still got caught while being cautious after all. Gabe and Oliver would laugh at him if they knew what happened. He should’ve stayed in the sanctuary as promised, where no demon could reach him. Wonder if they were worried over his disappearance. He couldn’t reach out to them with that wretched ethereal collar. Not only transportation got cut off but communication as well.

He couldn’t pray to them.

There was the sound of a key in the lock. He gazed at the source of that sound, the door and slumped his shoulders. Pete. He had to play the obedient little pet again if he loved his wings. He let out a final sigh before trying his best to seem innocent. He naturally looked harmless anyway. Everyone underestimated him. Though when the door creaked open, it wasn’t Pete entering the room. There were two women. Patrick jumped out of the bed and stepped back, nearing the large window. He remembered Pete’s ground rule.

_You will not speak to anyone besides Andy, Joe and I._

Those girls were none of those three so he had to keep his mouth shut. What were they doing there anyway? He could feel the urge to survive and fight back overthrow his fear, eyes ablaze but they remained in the doorstep. One held out her hands and the other smiled.

“Seraphim, chill, it’s fine. Pete sent us to help you get ready.”

Patrick’s glare dissolved as he cocked his head confused. “Did he?”

_I’ll send someone to help you get ready._

“Oh. He did. Right.”

Since when was the mention of Pete’s name enough to calm him down? And why the hell would he carry out the ground rules so damn persistently? It didn’t make sense. Angels were made to obey orders. Sure, a Seraphim wasn’t supposed to listen to anyone but God or the High Council but still. Both were absent right now. Listening to Pete would be the most free he’d be. _Maybe this place is like home after all_ , Patrick bitterly thought.

The redhead of the two was carrying a first aid kit. She put it on the night stand on the other side of the bed, away from Patrick. She looked up. “I’m Jen. That’s Korey. We’re here to help so relax. Let me have a look at the wound in your wing? Pete said you cleaned it but it probably wasn’t enough.”

“No, it wasn’t. It bled again”, Patrick sighed, upset. His wings were the only part of his appearance he’d ever be proud of and now those were imperfect as well. Fate was cruel to make him an imperfect piece amongst perfection in Heaven. He shrugged and made them materialize. The big, white feathered appendages spread wide through the room, taking both women’s breath away. “Oh my, I knew your kind has the largest wingspan but those are…”

“Thank you”, the angel shyly replied, folding them close. Jen held on to the wounded wing and dug into the kit, trying to find someone to disinfect it before she’d bandage it. Korey remained in awe, staring at the wings. A smile tugged on the corners of Patrick’s lips. He liked these women. They were nice to him. They didn’t poke a hole into his wing.

“Can you believe my master threatened to tear them off?” he whispered before hissing as the cloth of disinfectant touched his open wound.

Korey snapped out of her infatuated state. “I can, actually. Pete’s known to…”

“Brutally degrade angels”, Jen filled in with a sigh. “Such a pity but we are demons after all.”

“Can’t demons appreciate a little ethereal beauty?”

“We can but I guess it’s confronting to see something he can never have again so he’d rather tear them off.”

The blonde looked sideways at Jen. “Again?”

“Yeah”, Korey replied.  
Jen unrolled a white bandage with a smile on her face. “You don’t know, do you, Patrick?”

“Don’t know what?” he asked, trying to sound intimidating but it came out whiny and desperate.

“He knows everything about your kind because he used to be one too.”

“What?”

The redhead shifted her attention to him. “Pete’s a fallen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> Yes, Dustin Bates - the singer of Starset - is a Seraphim.  
> Yes, the entire Skillet band are marshals.  
> Let me point out the title references for those who don't get them; Chapter 1's "the last of a dying breed" is a lyric from The Last of The Real Ones by FOB. Chapter 2's "emperor's new angel" came from Panic! At The Disco's Emperor's New Clothes since Brendon Urie is the emperor. Chapter 3's "soul punk Seraphim" is a pretty obvious reference to the angel's appearance. He's Soul Punk era Patrick. Chapter 4's "looking for angels" is a Skillet song because the marshals - the members of Skillet - are the main focus in this chapter but I also chose "looking for angels" because they found out Pete used to be an angel, therefore they found an angel.


	5. Happy Feast of Hell's Veil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! As you may or may not have guessed, I'll be updating this fic every two weeks. I added new fandom tags. This fic is now in the Starset, The Cab and Hollywood Undead fandom! Dustin Bates, Alex DeLeon and the guys from Hollywood Undead will be an important part of Pete's next mission, that's why. The story still focuses on Patrick and Pete, don't worry about making it a mess of bands, I'm keeping it lowkey. Enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete sends down Joe and Andy to help out Seth and John as they ready the feast. Jen and Korey are assigned to helping Patrick get ready when they reveal Pete knows a lot about angels because he's a fallen angel himself._

 

 

 

The marshal pair had done an exceptional job. There wasn’t a single trace left of the battle damage on the clothes he wore. His fair, spotless skin shone like the powerful immortal he resembled, perfect hair combed to the side. He stood before the demon, chin lifted and a hint of an amused smile on his lips. He _liked_ approval. He craved Pete’s approval of his appearance. His ethereal, white wings were folded to his back. The tips of the lowest feathers gently touched the floor.

“Well?” Jen asked, hands still raised to present the angel. “Did we do a good job or not?”

“I think you know the answer to that”, the seeker smiled in response before he neared the magnificent creature in front of him. He inspected him more closely and made him shift a little uneasily. “Sir?”

Pete brought his hands up to the collar until he reached the black spot in the back. He swiped his thumb over it when it lit up and retreated. “There. You can’t walk further than six feet away from me now. It’s like an invisible leash.”

Patrick blinked confused. “An invisible leash?!”

“Yes. Look”, Pete grinned, stepping back until he was six feet away from him. Nothing happened but when he took another step back, a thin silver line tugged harshly on Patrick’s neck. He stumbled forward and glared at his master who held up a hand. “Ah, what did I tell you about giving me that look?”

“I’m sorry, master”, Patrick muttered. He had to remember his ground rules but the sudden news of the two Skillet females came to him as a shock. Pete? A fallen? He wanted to ask but he remembered he wasn’t allowed to ask any curious question. For now he’d just pretend he didn’t know. Maybe he could figure out more from those women at the feast? Impossible with that leash of his. He had to find a way to be in a six feet radius from Pete and still talk to the marshals.

“Come on, pretty Nephalem, it’s a party in our honour. Look alive!” Pete requested, nearing him again. Patrick put on a polite fake smile. The kind he put on when someone complimented him. He didn’t like compliments. They were obvious lies. _Pretty nephalem._ Kidding, right?

“Thank you, Korey and Jen. We’ll be heading out now. Good luck tonight. Pity you have to work”, Pete shook his head.

Korey shrugged. “Someone has to make sure your glass is full, sir.”

Pete rolled his eyes and Patrick hid a smile. The demon walked towards the door and stuck out his elbow. “Come on, pet, time to shine.”

The angel swallowed nervously but stepped forward to take the arm. He didn’t want another embarrassing tug to his collar because he fell behind again. He waved goodbye to the women when they walked out the door but as they rounded the corner, Pete pulled back. “Remember. I want you at your best behaviour tonight. Show off a little. I’m sure you can do that with the right…”, he touched his left wing with a light caress. “Motivation.”

Patrick shuddered. “Master, I…”

“What? What’s so hard about showing off your ethereal beauty?! You’re in Hell for fuck’s sake. Nothing here’s as impressive as you!”

“You really mean that?” the angel asked. “I just. Master, I’m afraid to be in the centre of the attention.”

“An angel with stage fright?” Pete snorted. “Alright. Look, I’m supposed to take good care of you so if you behave, I’ll make sure they’re focused on me instead, good?”

“Thank you, sir”, Patrick muttered before they continued their way down the stairs into the hallway. The sound of music, laughter and banter filled the spacious hall but stilled when Pete appeared through the doorstep of the Great Hall. He glanced at Patrick who shrunk with each passing second.

The Great Hall was decorated with ribbons, long fancy cloth-covered tables and the Emperor’s finest tableware. As they continued their way in, the noise welled up again. The red carpet led them through a large empty space, possibly for when dinner was over, in between the tables to the steps of the throne. The marshals did a great job in such short amount of time. In front of the throne was a large table, only room for the elite of the elite there. Since Pete was the guest of honour, he and Patrick could most certainly sit next to the Emperor. Brendon greeted them with a smile. “Pete, Patrick. Welcome. Please have a seat. I had yours reserved.”

Pete bowed his hand. “Thank you, your eminence.”

He jerked his head to ask Patrick to follow him, walking around the table to find his seat next to the Emperor. When Patrick pulled back the chair, Brendon clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “No no. The angel will sit on my other side.”

“But sir, Patrick’s…”

“Are you arguing with me?” Brendon asked with a suspicious glare. One of his Guardians in the back took a step closer, eyes hateful. Pete averted his eyes. “No, sir. My apologies.”

Patrick sent him a worried look. Even if he didn’t like his captivity, Pete had promised to take care of him. Being ripped away from him with the Emperor of Hell in between them, was far from reassuring. Still, he nodded obediently and took a seat on the right side of Brendon. Guests continued to arrive in their most formal wear imaginable. Pete searched the crowd for his knights but he couldn’t spot them. He didn’t know where they’d sit or if they were even allowed inside. Marshals scurried around to serve them, filling glasses with red wine as they passed. Brendon sighed and leaned back. “The marshals did a great job, didn’t they, Pete?”

“They did, sir.”

“And all for our little Nephalem.”

Pete hummed in agreement and thanked John for filling his glass but the head marshal only glared back at him. Even if he had meant no harm in sending down his minions, John probably thought he had done it to spite him. He spotted Andy by the door. He was dressed in a suit and tie, pointing the Great Earl Dan Reynolds to his seat. Brendon spotted what he was looking at. “I hope you don’t mind I’m using your knights to help people to their seats?”

“Not at all, your eminence. I was just wondering if they were allowed inside.”

“They are, they are. This is your party, Pete. Anything you want tonight. Unless I don’t want it”, he laughed and turned his head to the back, beckoning the blonde Guardian closer to whisper something. The blonde nodded shortly, gathered four of the Guardians and split up. The sixth stayed put.

“Never enough security. Especially with the last of the real ones amongst us”, Brendon explained.

Pete tilted his chin in agreement. “Sir, if I may. What do you mean with ‘the last of the real ones’?”

“Curiosity kills the cat, Pete”, Brendon smirked. “Patrick’s the last of Seraphim descent. Sure, we could easily use a Nephalem of Cherubim descent but we’ll never get the… fire power we’re looking for. They’re not that good. The Seraphim demons are the real ones.”

“Ah, I see”, Pete mused. He kept it to himself but Patrick still hadn’t shown a single sign of acknowledgement that he was in fact a Nephalem. He remembered Andy’s words. Maybe Patrick had no idea he was a Nephalem. By now everyone had arrived and taken their seat. There wasn’t a single empty spot. Even Andy had found a seat but Joe was still nowhere to be seen. Must be helping out in the kitchen then.

The Emperor stood up from his seat and put up a hand. Immediately the noise died down until the Great Hall was completely quiet. Brendon spread his arms. “Welcome! To our humble feast to celebrate the capture”, he glanced back at Patrick, “of the last Nephalem.”

Patrick shifted, eyes darting to Pete. The seeker closed his eyes for a second, thinking “fuck it” as he got up from his seat as well. “Thank you so much, your eminence for this feast. Please pardon my rude interruption but I just wanted to thank you publicly for this honour.”

Brendon squinted his eyes momentarily and the sixth Guardian took a few steps closer but the Emperor dismissed him. “You’re very welcome, seeker. If you like, give a speech. The crowd’s yours.”

Patrick relaxed. Good. The attention was all on Pete now. The demon licked his lips, thinking of something to say. _Good job, idiot, you got their eyes on you and you have nothing to say._

“I am very pleased with my achievement. Hunting down this Seraphim slash Nephalem was no easy task but I knew I couldn’t come home empty-handed. The credit’s not entirely mine. Both knights Andy and Joe did a great job today. Thank you.”

He sat down, wincing at his weak speech. It was his own fault for drawing attention but he had promised Patrick to keep their eyes off of him. Brendon grinned, clapping along with the crowd when he leaned over to Pete and whispered. “Nice speech but don’t you ever interrupt me again, seeker.”

“My apologies, sir.”

Not really.

“Now, let’s enjoy the excellent meal our marshals put together for us!”

As he spoke, dinner was served and Pete realized just how hungry he was. He glanced at Patrick who reluctantly ate from the meat served.

“Congratulations”, came from his right side. Pete whipped his head around. Dallon Weekes was sitting next to him. Right, The Great King. “Thank you, sir.”

“I’m impressed.”

And that was about the longest conversation Pete had ever had with the Great King. He usually only had eyes for the Emperor, not really speaking much to anyone besides Brendon or the kings of the castle. A few hours later when everyone’s plate was empty, the people moved away from the table for ease. The marshals hurried to clean up the place and empty the Great Hall so they could continue to conversate the night away. Pete gently put an arm around Patrick’s waist. The angel tensed but the seeker whispered. “Relax. I just don’t like how the Emperor separated you from me like that.”

“Why did he?”

“Not sure. Maybe a silent threat. I brought you here but he still decides your fate, regardless of my temporary ownership.”

Patrick nodded but didn’t speak. Pete found Joe in a circle of Great Dukes and dukes. The dukes were known to be very jovial, regardless of someone’s lower ranking in the castle. They just liked people.

“What happened to you?” Pete asked, pointing at Joe’s swollen black eye. Andy snickered, opening his mouth but Joe held up a hand. “I don’t wanna hear it.”

Still, Andy blurted: “Joe tried to fight John.”

“If you think this is bad, you should’ve seen him!” Joe said, arms folded.

“I did. John filled my glass”, Pete chuckled. “He wasn’t wounded in any way.”

“Quick healer then”, Joe muttered like a brooding child.

“Quite a treasure you found”, duke Neil approached Pete, pointing his glass of wine at Patrick. The angel hid behind Pete. “I had never seen one before.”

“A Nephalem or an angel in general?” Pete asked.

Neil gave the white wings a onceover. “An angel. I’d never seen those wings in real life before. I heard stories of the feathered pieces of shit but damn it, those pieces of shit are impressive.”

“They are, aren’t they?” Great Duke Matt agreed. “Can you imagine a demon with wings?”

“I can. They’re called fallen angels”, Pete replied. Patrick lifted his head. _Pete’s a fallen._ He listened closely but the dukes only laughed and talked happily to the seeker while they downed their glasses of wine, marshals filling them again with every sip. Patrick had never tasted it before. Gabe told him he was too young and he’d most likely always be. He always said Patrick could have a sip once he lost the baby weight. The angel had found it degrading but even when he did lose weight, he still wasn’t allowed to drink it.

They said they needed him to be alert at all times. Enemies were watching his every move after all. He had never believed them. Until now.

“You comfortable?” Pete asked. Guests were starting to head upstairs to bed, saying their thanks and goodbyes to the Emperor and Pete. Patrick nodded slightly. “I’m tired but I’m fine. Thank you.”

He noticed the seeker became more caring with each passing hour – and drink – and it made this place a little less… Hell. Though he couldn’t let his guard down. He was still a captive after all. Stockholm syndrome maybe? After all, Pete was the only one being nice to him. The only person who didn’t objectify him. Who didn’t refer to him as an _impressive piece of shit_.

He hadn’t left his side so the collar didn’t have to tug on him even once.

“Sir, don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Joe asked when Pete let John fill his glass again. The seeker raised an eyebrow. “Mom, is that you?”

“Very funny. Demons don’t have mothers. Is the mortal world rubbing out on you?” Joe teased but Pete only laughed. “Is John’s fist rubbing out on your face?”

“Oh shut up, sir.”

Patrick shifted uncomfortably and looked around the almost empty Great Hall. It was well past Hell’s midnight. He tugged the seeker’s arm. Pete turned to him.

“When are we leaving?”

“You wanna go?”

“I’m tired.”

“Oh. I suppose the Emperor won’t mind”, Pete replied. He said his goodbyes to the people and the Emperor, shielding Patrick a little from their attention. He kept his promises. The pair headed upstairs, Pete’s arm firmly around the angel’s waist. “I’m proud of you. You did well tonight. Shy but you behaved like a good pet.”

“Thank you, sir and thank you for distracting them. I was mortified when the Emperor called me out like that.”

“Like a showpony on a pedestal”, Pete grinned, unlocking the door to his room and stepping inside. He had a little more to drink than he would’ve liked, head spinning a little. He closed the door behind Patrick and locked it. Then he stepped closer to the angel. “And you didn’t try to step further than six feet!”

Patrick bowed his head.

“You didn’t even leave my side”, Pete cooed, hands searching the collar for the black spot again to slide his thumb over it. Patrick could smell the alcohol in his breath and swallowed.

“The leash is gone now. Do you want to change clothes maybe? To sleep?”

Patrick shook his head. “I’ll be fine, sir.”

“Alright. Take the bed, will you? And rest. We don’t know what’s in store for tomorrow”, Pete requested, pointing lazily at the large bed. Patrick nodded and sat down on it when Pete disappeared into the bathroom. Maybe his time in Hell wouldn’t be that bad. Pete treated him more kindly than Oliver ever had. He hadn’t been allowed to leave Heaven either so what difference was it, really?  
Well… Oliver never threatened to tear off his wings if he were to disobey? Right. Don’t forget that. Hell’s castle was still a dangerous place full of predators ready to strike. He had to remain cautious. Even if Pete was being nice.

Even if Pete promised to take care of him.

Even if Pete was an attractive demon… No, put away those thoughts.

He was still a pet.

A degraded angelic pet. But he had his wings!

He lay down on the left side of the bed with his back to the right side and closed his eyes. It wasn’t comfortable to sleep in these clothes but he refused to undress. Especially with his master present. He was sleepy. His nap had been interrupted so he had been tired when the feast began but now? He was just beyond tired and grateful for the rest.

By the time Pete left the bathroom, he was already drifting off. He didn’t even feel the right side of the bed dip underneath the seeker’s weight when he joined him.

And he must’ve dreamt the arm around his waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> The reference in this chapter's title is from a Blizzard game so don't sweat it if you don't know what "happy feast of Hell's veil" means. I've finished this story until chapter 11 but I'm still editing all chapters and incorporating small hints towards new events in the future. So far though, I still have a lot of motivation and material left to continue but chapter 8, 9 and 10 need editing before I can finish chapter 11 and beyond.


	6. Cut Off My Wings, I've Had Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! Yeah, I'm back with an update. Still going steady but haven't written much since I'm both exhausted and empty but I can handle it just fine. I'm still at chapter 11 and this chapter will finally set off the focus of Pete's next mission! Anyway, enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete made sure all attention at the feast was on him since the angel has stage fright and Patrick couldn’t be more grateful. The Emperor separated them at the table, raising Pete’s suspicion of his intentions but at the end of an exhausting night, both Pete and Patrick fell asleep in the bed._

 

The black sky of Hell’s night turned a bright red when the day arrived. It gave the grey curtains of the massive room a red glow. Patrick’s eyes fluttered open to stare at them, confused for only a second when the events of yesterday came crashing down. He was degraded to the level of a pet. He was wearing a collar. Seeker demon Pete owned him. The angel let out a sigh. _But Pete had protected them from everyone’s prying gaze. Pete wasn’t so bad. Not bad at all, rather attracti-…_

He closed his eyes again, blocking out those thoughts heavily. Minus the death threats, Hell wasn’t so different from Heaven. He just had to make sure Pete would take good care of him and never harm him. He had to follow his ground rules. Back in Heaven he had rules as well.

_“Never leave the mountain, Patrick. You don’t know what dangers lie ahead.”_

_“You may only visit the mortal world if you stay in the sanctuary!”_

He huffed to himself. Like he were a helpless baby. He hated to be treated that way, though if he had followed that last rule, he wouldn’t have been captured by the seeker. He rolled over to the other side. Pete had joined him in the bed last night but he was nowhere to be seen. His side of the bed was cold, the sheets in place. He got up a long time ago.

_Great. I’m disappointed he’s not here anymore. What’s wrong with you, Patrick?_

His _master_ , wasn’t here and he had no idea where he was. Patrick sat upright and stretched with a yawn, wings spread to full width. He opened his eyes to find Pete’s knight sitting on the couch on the far end of the room. _Andy._

Patrick stumbled out of the bed, scurrying away from the knight into the furthest corner of the room. His wings vanished defensively. “Get away from me.”

“Good morning”, Andy muttered, twirling the angel blade between his fingers. He kept his eyes to the floor.

“I haven’t forgiven you for hurting me.”

“Pete’s orders. I had to attack you if you were getting away. I’m sorry.”

Patrick hummed, still suspicious of the other. “Where is Pete?”

“Away. I’m watching you until he returns.”

The angel stepped back to the bed and sat down on it. “He’s working, right? Finding the next creature to capture.”

“You know I’ll tell him everything, right?”

“What?”

“You’re breaking a ground rule. _Don’t ask curious questions._ I’ll report to him when you’ve broken a rule.”

“Ah, I didn’t notice. I’m sorry.”

Andy shrugged. “Do you need anything? Breakfast? Fresh clothes? You’re familiar with the bathroom by now, are you? Jen said you took a bath without them present.”

“I…”, Patrick furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember the answer to each one of those questions. “No, thank you. Yes, I’d like breakfast. I don’t think I need fresh clothes and yes, I am familiar with the bathroom.”

“Alright. I’ll bring you some toast from the kitchen then. Please do take the time I’m away to refresh yourself a little bit.”

Patrick nodded and watched the knight leave the room. Only when he had closed the door behind him, did he feel relieved again. Bummer. Today he’d be stuck with Pete’s little minion. There was no way he’d figure out more about him being a fallen like that. Andy already threatened to report a broken rule to his master by asking about his occupation.

The blonde disappeared into the bathroom and found a comb for his messy bedhair. He pouted. He’d like a toothbrush or just some fresh clothes of his own but he guessed he just had to wear out the suit then. There was no way in Hell he’d wear Pete’s clothes! The door to the bedroom opened and Patrick tensed again. Andy had returned with his breakfast so soon already. He barely had time to wash his face. He walked out of the bathroom to find two men standing next to the bed.

“Been a while since I saw Pete’s bedroom”, Great Marquise Mikey commented, a hint of sorrow in his eyes but he hid it behind a cynical smile. They hadn’t spotted Patrick yet. Maybe he could still hide until Andy got back?

Before he could retreat into the bathroom, Gerard’s eyes were onto him. “Well, what do we have here?”

Oh holy smokes.

 

* * *

 

“Would you look at that? Another human sold his soul for money and fame”, Pete grumbled, shaking his head disapprovingly. Joe looked around impressed by the large villa the man lived in. “He spent his money pretty well, I’d say.”

“Too bad his time has come. Brendon wants him dead now. His contract expired”, The seeker commented, taking a turn in the hallway to the door of the man’s bedroom. Of course, the fucking bedroom.

Of course the dude fucking married a model.

Of course.

He kicked in the door with no mercy and watched the couple cower before him. He used to feel pity whenever he had to carry out a task like this. He had felt bad for the humans finding their way into his assignment feed but looking at the rich corrupt bastard with the model in bed, only made his blood boil now. Humans were disgusting pieces of crap.

He didn’t get why God had loved these imperfect beings so much. They were cocky enough to claim they were formed to God’s image. Idiots. The angels were. Humanity never was. They were a funny little experiment that got out of hand.

“Hi there! I think you know what I’m doing here, don’t you?”

Pete flashed his red eyes at him. “I believe you made a deal with the devil about 10 years ago.”

The man only shook.

“You know your soul’s due, right?”

Still no reaction. Fine, then he’d just take it instead. With a single touch, he withdrew the man’s soul and left his dead body behind. He popped open a small bottle and crammed the blue light of the soul into it before he shut it again. He tossed Joe the bottle. “Keep it safe.”

“Yes, sir.”

They left the woman alone, leaving her behind. She’d most likely claim to have seen the devil and people would think she’s insane. Such a pity to see such beauty go to waste in an asylum. But sometimes it was more amusing than a pity, really. Humans responding to humans with different ideas of what the world’s like. Just plain stupid.

“It’s been an exhausting day. I can’t wait to get home”, Pete sighed, stepping outside of the villa.

Joe nodded in agreement. “Get you back to Patrick and release Andy of his babysitting duty.”

“Yes, finally!”

The pair teleported back to Hell and landed at the foot of the mountain in front of the castle. They walked the path to the undead guards and past them into the Great Hall. Brendon sat on his throne, the Guardians surrounded him a little more closely than usual. Pete stopped before the first steps and bowed. “Your Eminence, I have returned from my mission.”

“So soon? Did you get the soul?”

Joe took the bottle out of his bag and handed it over to the Guardian stepping forward. Brendon smiled. “Great work, Pete.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The seeker turned away to head upstairs when the Emperor called him back. “Unfortunately, there’s a very urgent task at hand for you. I need you to get to work with it immediately.”

“What is it?” Pete asked.

The Emperor waved his hand at the Guardian closest to him. “Charlie, please accompany these demons to the dungeon.”

The Guardian nodded and stepped forward. “Please, follow me.”

Pete exchanged a confused gaze with Joe but followed anyway, into the hallway and down the stairs of the dungeons. The dungeon was forbidden property for anyone in the castle besides the guards, Guardians and the Emperor himself. Since they had Brendon’s permission, it wasn’t really trespassing now, was it?

The dungeons were a different kind of creepy. It was dark, no red glow of daylight entered the place. Just a dim lamp on the ceiling guided them through the dark. This was Hell’s prison for the worst of the worst. Mostly a torture chamber for Heaven’s spawns and anyone conspiring against Brendon. Was this a trap?

Brendon had separated Patrick from Pete at the feast as some sort of a warning. Had he crossed a line he didn’t notice? Did the Emperor want to imprison him? He eyed Guardian Charlie suspiciously but he seemed rather bored.

“Where are we going?”

Charlie cast a glance at him. “You’ll see. What? Think I’ll lock you up or something?”

“Yeah.”

“Come on. He would’ve sent Johnny if that were the case”, the Guardian muttered. “He’s the tall and scary one.”

“I guess he is”, Pete muttered. “Aren’t all Guardians scary?”

“Yeah, in power and skills but in appearance? Nah. Danny’s scary face is laughable.”

Well he had a point there.

They finally reached the dungeon of interest. The door hung open, clearly forced. Charlie gestured towards it. “One of Heaven’s minions escaped. We need you to bring him back.”

“Who escaped?” Pete asked.

“Alexander DeLeon.”

“THE ARCHANGEL?” Joe called out. “I had no idea he’d been imprisoned here.”

Pete clenched his jaw. “His capture was before your time, Joe. I took him before my fall.”

“It’ll be easy to get him back, won’t it?” Joe asked but his master bowed his head. “No, it won’t be easy to get him back. I’m not the person I was when I took him down. I no longer possess those powers anymore.”

“Well, the Emperor wants you to bring him back asap”, Charlie said. “So please, look around if he left any traces behind.”

“I’m a seeker, not a dog.  I can’t just sniff up his smell”, Pete called out. “Where would Alex go…”

He sighed and turned to Joe. “We’ve got research to do.”

He turned back to Charlie. “Lead us back. I might get back here later but I gotta sort it out first.”

Charlie nodded and stepped towards the stairs in front of them. Pete clenched his jaw. “The Emperor’s giving me an impossible task and he knows it. He wants me to disappoint him.”

“Because your recent successes are forming a threat to him”, Joe whispered. Pete nodded. “He knows I can’t take down Alex again. Why would he… He probably wants me to either admit defeat and bow or die trying to catch him.”

“Must be but why?”

“Patrick”, Pete said. “Brendon never wanted me to own Patrick but then why did he give the angel to me?”

“Maybe he thought you’d politely refuse his gift?” Joe asked when Charlie turned to them. “What are you guys whispering about?”

“Patrick and my plans for him until the Emperor reclaims him”, Pete smiled like a true demon liar. Joe kept quiet. He was a fucking terrible liar anyway. Charlie squinted his eyes but continued their way upstairs.

Charlie led them back to the Great Hall where Brendon awaited them. “So? Seeker? Will you track down Alexander DeLeon for me?”

“I’ll try my best, Your Eminence”, Pete promised, bowing before he was dismissed. He had a lot of things to figure out. He had to search demon radio for any signs of Alex being spotted while trying to get back to Heaven. Maybe he hadn’t reached it yet. He had to figure out when the angel had broken free and if he were weakened or not. A full power Archangel, he couldn’t handle but a weakened one? Maybe. If his wings were severed, he could catch him.

Otherwise he’d never be able to reach him. Ah fuck, if only he hadn’t… No, it had been the right thing to do. Pete entered his bedroom more than exhausted, finding Andy on the couch and Patrick by the window. The angel turned around at the sound, slightly flinching as he did but it melted away when he saw Pete standing there. He winced as he stepped closer and Pete was alarmed right away. “What’s wrong?”

Patrick shook his head. “I-it’s nothing, sir.”

“Yes, it is. Don’t you fucking lie to me”, Pete growled, eyes ablaze when he turned to Andy. “What the fuck did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything, sir, I swear! He was in pain when I got back with his breakfast this morning and won’t let me have a look at him.”

“And you didn’t call me right away? What the fuck did you do to him?!”

Patrick slumped. “He didn’t do anything. Two men entered your room after he left.”

“Two?” Pete asked, face shifting into disgust as it clicked. “The Great Marquises.”

He turned to Andy. “I told you to watch him!”

“I did. I watched him the entire morning! I only left to get him some food.”

“And you left the door unlocked?!” Pete shouted. “Get out. Both of you”, he called out to Joe and Andy. “Just get out now. I’ll deal with you later, Hurley.”

Andy bowed his head and left along with Joe. Patrick looked away, affected by the conflict before him. He didn’t like fighting.

“Sit”, Pete ordered, face cold. “On the floor.”

Patrick sat down, face still contorted in an expression of pain.

“What happened with the Great Marquises?”

“I was in the bathroom and I heard the do-…”

“Get to the point, angel.”

“They threatened me”, Patrick barely squeaked. “They said I was yours and anything yours they’d love to take away.”

“And?”

“I… told them to go away”, the blonde replied in a whisper.

Pete narrowed his eyes. “ _What_ did they do to you?”

Patrick looked up sadly, shrugging as he made his wings appear. The left hung lower than it should’ve been, a few feathers missing. The once beautiful white wings were smeared black with a sharpie. It read ‘ _Angelic piece of shit’._ “They attacked me and pushed me down. I couldn’t make them disappear in time.”

Pete kneeled down to his level, giving the feathers a onceover with an expression Patrick couldn’t quite read. The demon caressed the feathers to feel the soft fluff was now a matted mass. The angel looked up at him, breaking the rule of not looking him in the eye but it was the least of his worries.  
Those eyes were burning red as he hissed: “They will pay for this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> Yeah, Alex is an Archangel. An Archangel with a shotgun (sorry, I had to).
> 
> Title's reference for this chapter's from Bring Me The Horizon's song Doomed. I changed the lyrics a bit to make it fit into a chapter title but the original lyrics are "Cut off my wings and come lock me up. Just pull the plug, yeah, I've had enough".


	7. I Won't Let You Fall Today

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! So, funny story. I opened up my computer to post the story yesterday, ended up doing other shit aaaand forgot about it. Sooo here's the new chapter! Can you guess the chapter title reference? Enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete and Joe finish the mission of retrieving a human soul and are handed the next task; catching the Archangel, Alex DeLeon. Andy was left behind to babysit Patrick. While the second knight fetched Patrick breakfast, Mikey and Gerard managed to enter the bedroom and spite Pete's possession by writing a message on Patrick's wings; Angelic piece of shit._

He kept his mouth shut, shoulders slumped. It wasn’t a choice, he just didn’t feel like talking about it. He couldn’t describe the feeling of humiliation to sit on a little chair in the bathroom and have his master scrub the black markings off his feathers. Only the right wing would be clean at the end of the day. He couldn’t clean the left one because of the damage done. Patrick had to gather all his willpower to not just sink to his knees and sob about the ambush.  
It was frightening to be pinned on his back and not know what they were planning on doing. He thought he’d been done for. He thought they’d either kill him or wound him severely. _Or worse, rob him of his purity_. In the end, he didn’t know if dying would’ve been worse than the embarrassment of his wings. He felt stripped of his angelic beauty. Now he was just an imperfect creature whose perfect wings had been smeared to match his imperfection. He let out a sigh, slouching even more.

Pete gently moved the sponge over a particularly black feather and cast his glance down to the angel’s face. “It’s almost over. It’s still vaguely visible but it’ll fade the more you wash it.”

The angel insisted on getting the markings off before attending to his wounded wing. The humiliation hurt more than the physical pain anyway.

Patrick nodded. “Thank you, master”, he half-heartedly shrugged.

The pain in his left shoulder blade was nothing more than a dull ache now. He was getting used to it. The seeker put down the sponge and took a step back, giving him a onceover. He groaned and threw the sponge angrily back into the bathtub. “I fucking _told_ him to lock the damn door. How could you let them overpower you? You are an angelic creature! You could’ve easily defended yourself from those two!”

The angel looked at him through his eyelashes. “I didn’t think I was allowed to harm anyone in the castle. I don’t want you or the Emperor to punish me for being disobedient.”

Pete’s rant died in his throat. “Maybe I should’ve made that clear. You may always defend yourself when someone you don’t know in this castle threatens you. I don’t want anyone to inflict any harm on you. So please, kick them in the fucking balls next time.”

The blonde chuckled, the first smile to break through in a while. “I will, sir.”

The demon looked back at the wings, eyes averted from the angel’s face but he was standing so damn close to him. “Ok, we were lucky enough the left wing only says ‘angelic’. I suppose it’s a compliment written on you now?”

“Are the other words gone?”

“Not entirely but you’ll just have to hide your wings for a while. Now turn around so I can look at the left one. Your bone’s all… weird. Dislocated?”

“My shoulder blade does hurt”, Patrick muttered. “Do you think you can fix it, sir?”

“Of course I can!”

“You know how to fix a wing?” the angel asked, knowing fully well he was prying into the mystery of Pete as a fallen. He wasn’t allowed to ask curious questions but he could always push the boundaries a little.

Pete shrugged. “I know the basic stuff”

No news there.

Patrick twisted his head back to look at him. “How was _your_ day, master?”

The seeker frowned confused. “Since when are you interested in the well-being of your kidnapper?”

“You’re taking care of me. I shouldn’t be mean to you. I should be mean to the Emperor who told you to kidnap me.”

“Yeah but don’t be mean to him or you won’t see the light of day ever again”, Pete warned him. “And my mission was successful. I retrieved the human soul but the Emperor assigned me to a new job already.”

“Really? What job?”

“Classified information, little Nephalem”, Pete teased. He pulled back the wing a little. “Hold your breath, will you?”

Patrick inhaled and kept it in when Pete snapped the wing back into place. He groaned at the excruciating pain but it was already fading. He could move his wing again. He sighed and flapped them once for good measure. “Thank you.”

Pete mindlessly traced a feather with his fingers. It wasn’t unpleasant, a soft caress. “No problem. Now I want you to provide me with some information, little Nephalem. Why do you keep denying you are one?”

“I’m not denying it, sir. I am a Seraphim”, Patrick promised while following Pete back into the bedroom.

“You are not”, Pete said. “Spread your wings to full width for me.”

Patrick did as he was told. The demon touched the tip of the left wing and let his fingertips graze the feathers slowly as he walked all the way to the right rip. Patrick squirmed. It was just a small touch but why did it feel so intimate?

“Your wingspan’s too small to be a full Seraphim. Your demonic side’s holding back its growth.”

“But-…”

“You don’t know you’re a Nephalem, do you?”

“I…”

“Can you catch onto demon radio?”

“What?”

_Can you catch onto demon radio?_

Patrick stared at him blankly. “Maybe my wings are just smaller than others?”

“You can’t listen to demon radio, can you?”

“What’s that?”

“Can you resurrect? Can you extract a soul?”

He blinked confused. “No, I… I can’t.”

“Can you possess?”

“No. I’m telling you, sir. I’m a Seraphim.”

Pete shook his head. “No, you manipulated your aura to be demonic!”

“You mean my cloak?” Patrick asked. “Gabe told me to always wear it when visiting the human world. He said it would protect me from demons harming me.”

“Who’s Gabe?”

“Gabe Saporta, the Cherubim. He and Oliver Sykes took care of me in Heaven’s mountain keep.”

The demon dug into his memory, trying to find Heaven’s mountain when it dawned. “You were a captive.”

“What?”

“The mountain keep’s a prison. Did you ever go outside of the mountain?”

“I didn’t. They said it wasn’t safe to go out there.”

“Bullshit. Heaven’s the safest place for angels”, Pete commented. “You were held a captive because they knew you were a Nephalem and they kept you from developing your demonic powers, didn’t they?”

Patrick considered it. “Do you really think I’m not a real Seraphim?”

“If you are indeed a Nephalem, you’re extremely dangerous to fall into Hell’s hands and God wants to prevent that with all he has. Have you never noticed other Seraphim were different?”

“I’ve never seen one before”, Patrick replied, worriedly as Pete revealed more and more about the existence of this… Nephalem species. “What _is_ a Nephalem? Is it some sort of demon angel?”

“Yes. It’s a forbidden hybrid. You’re a forbidden species.”

“Great. I’m an imperfect angel once again”, the blonde growled with eyes cast to the floor but Pete frowned. “You’re kidding, right? None of those feathered bastards are perfect”, he cupped Patrick’s chin so he’d look at him. “Why do you think they fall so easily?”

“They fall easily? What about me? Will I fall by serving you?”

“It’s not like that for a Nephalem but if you were a fallen, your wings would wither before my eyes until you barely had any feathers left”, Pete sighed. “Since you’re already in Hell, you can’t crash and break your wings but you’d gradually see them decay if you’re a fallen.”

“Have you seen it happen before?” Patrick asked carefully, big eyes trying to seem innocent.

Pete shrugged. “That’s enough questions for a day, little angel. I allowed you to break that rule and I’ve been nothing but nice because of what happened but I’m still your master and not your friend.”

Patrick sighed, disappointed how quickly this nice side of Pete could vanish. “Yes, sir, I haven’t forgotten.”

The demon cupped the angel’s chin and made him look up. He barely kept in a small smile as he swiped his thumb over his cheek before he turned around. “I’ve got a lot of work to do. Mostly research today. I’ll send Joe upstairs to take care of you while I deal with Andy’s mistake.”

“Research? Can’t you do that here?” Patrick asked. “If anyone has to accompany me, I’d rather have you here, sir.”

Pete hummed, surprised by the request but he’d never turn down the opportunity to keep an eye on the angel himself. Especially with Andy’s failure in mind. “I suppose I can just stay here. You’ll be safer when I can keep an eye on you myself anyway. This was enough trouble for today.”

The angel sat down on the bed. “But I am kinda hungry…”

“Right! I’m forgetting lunch”, the demon called out. He turned to the door but looked back at Patrick. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself again. I’ll have the knights send us some food.”

_Joe, can you bring us lunch?_

_Yes, sir._

“There. Roomservice.”

“Good”, Patrick commented. He leaned back against the headboard, wings tucked close against his body. Pete gestured for him to scoot a little and sat down next to him, in a meditating position. He closed his eyes and dug into the deepest, most hidden conversations of all demon radio to try and find a hint that would tell him more about Alex’ breakout. Maybe someone had seen him or maybe he had caused some trouble on his way back to Heaven. Maybe he was roaming the Earth. He could be wounded or at full strength. He didn’t know any of that so any hints could help him out.

“Do you mind if I try to sleep some more, sir? I’m still tired.”

Pete turned his head to him, out of the zone and nodded. “Yeah, go ahead but don’t disturb me, alright?”

Patrick lay down on the bed and dozed off. Meanwhile, Pete was still looking for Alex but wondering where the hell Joe was with their lunch as well. It wasn’t until Patrick was snoring softly he really started to wonder what was taking the knight so long. That’s when there was finally a knock on his door. He opened it to find Joe with a plate in his arms, balancing another on top of the cover. “You have no idea how hard it is to walk the stairs with these things balancing on top of each other, sir.”

“At least it’s here”, Pete said as he put them on a sideboard. Joe looked at Patrick’s sleeping form. “How’s the angel?”

“Fine. Asleep, clean, healthy. Three things he wasn’t when Andy took care of him.”

“What _did_ happen this morning?”

“Gerard and Mikey wrote a message in a black sharpie on his wings and dislocated the left one. The poor creature was so fucking scared of disobeying me he didn’t fight back.”

Joe squinted his eyes. “Sir, you really take this ownership thing serious, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do”, Pete growled defensively. “I have to take good care of him so the Emperor won’t be disappointed.”

“If you say so”, Joe muttered, walking away with the shake of his head. Pete squinted his eyes at him but closed the door. Patrick was sound asleep. Their lunch was covered so it wouldn’t cool off. He could afford to sit down and do some more research until the angel woke up. He didn’t want to disturb him now.

Pete sat down on the bed again and closed his eyes to disappear into the world of demonic messaging again when he felt a nudge to his side. He looked down to find Patrick’s head against his hip. He muttered something in his sleep, eyelids pressed together tightly. Pete ran his fingers through the other’s hair and felt his stomach growl. Should he…?

No, he’d let him sleep and then they’d have lunch, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> Chapter title comes from Fallen Angel by Three Days Grace, the part goes "Fallen angel, close your eyes. I won't let you fall tonight" and I love the vibe of the angel's desperation and sorrow in it so I thought it fit Patrick in this chapter.


	8. Angel With A Shotgun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! Yeah I'm posting on a Thursday again because I forgot to do it yesterday. I haven't been able to work on it so far but I've been working on a new one-shot. It's a Hollywood Undead Infinity War AU where (spoilers) it discusses 'what if wiping out half the universe also meant wiping out half of HU?'. Anyway, still very motivated to keep this story going and I still know what needs to happen.   
> At one point I'll most likely do a filler on the life of a Guardian because I made up some details about their existence that I'd love to share with you guys. Let me know if that's actually something you'd like... Enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete helped clean Patrick’s wings and decided to keep an eye on him himself while looking for leads on Alex DeLeon. The demon might grow a heart if he keeps going on like that._

 

“Patrick?”

The angel softly stirred, eyes fluttering open. He turned on his back and yawned loudly before he looked at Pete in between fast blinks. “Master?”

“Lunch”, the seeker said, showing the plate at the table in front of the couch. The Nephalem nodded warily. “How long was I out?”

“Let’s say lunch is nearing dinner”, Pete grinned. “Do they have a word for that? Like brunch is for breakfast and lunch?”

“Linner?” Patrick offered as he got up to sit on the couch and eat.

Pete smiled. “Come on. Eat. I can’t have my little angel starve to death.”

“I’m not your little angel”, he snorted in response. “And don’t call me that.”

“Ow, not a morning person? Or… not a just-awoken person? I can call you what I want. I own you” Pete teased.

Patrick made a face but ate in silence, not wanting to piss off his master while he was in a good, forgiving mood. He liked this side of Pete. It was almost nice to have him around. Minus the fact he was a prisoner. He kept forgetting that for some stupid reason but then again he had always been a prisoner if his home had really been Heaven’s prison. Wonder what would’ve happened if he had met Pete in Heaven back when he was an angel. What kind of angel had he been? A guardian angel? A Cherubim? A dominion? Maybe he used to be a Seraphim!

“FINALLY!” Pete called out loudly, jumping in joy. Patrick dropped his fork startled and reached for it under the couch. Great, now it was filthy. He looked up at the demon. “What’s going on?”

“I found my first clue for the next task. Alex was spotted by a gateway demon in New York. Said he was heavily limping. Now I have a shot!”

Patrick cocked his head. “Alex?”

“Alexander DeLeon, the Archangel.”

“Are you hunting him? I mean no offense, sir, but isn’t he the most powerful of angels? What could you possibly do to take him down?”

“That’s what I said. He’s weakened severely”, Pete cheered before his face fell. “Hey! I took down Alex at full power, you know.”

“You took him down once?”

“I did. Before his escape from the dungeons.”

Patrick’s eyes glistened in pure interest. “How?! He’s like… one of the most powerful creatures in Heaven and Hell!”

Pete shrugged. “It was amazing, you know. It happened back when I still had my wi-…”

His face fell, eyes cast down to the floor. “It’s a story for another time. I should go report my findings to Joe and Andy and go find him before he escapes.”

“Master?” Patrick whispered.

The demon ignored him as he got up, lost in his own mind. It was like he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings anymore. All that seemed to matter, was Alex DeLeon. He had to find him, he had to track him down and catch him again. Only then he’d be able to prove his worth…

Not to the Emperor.

But to himself.

He sighed as he locked the door of his room behind him. Patrick was affecting him and he knew it. He wasn’t sure yet if the angel was affecting him in a good or a bad way but he was doing _something_ to him and change was never a good thing for Pete. It only ever brought him trouble.  
Trouble and regret.

He made his way downstairs, gaze crossing one of the Emperor’s Guardians on the stairs. He had no idea what the Guardian was doing there and something about it didn’t feel right. Pete smiled politely at him. “Good afternoon, Danny.”

“Likewise”, the blonde nodded, an expression on his face that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. It looked a little like _I know something you don’t_.

“Aren’t you supposed to protect the Emperor from harm?” Pete asked when Danny followed him through to the hallway.

Danny shook his head. “The Emperor wants me to accompany you and protect you on your mission since Alex is far more important than Patrick.”

“He doesn’t want me to screw up”, Pete rolled his eyes and Danny smiled, perfect white canines protruding. “Exactly, so say the word and we’ll head out.”

“I gotta go see Joe and Andy first. I never go without my knights”, the seeker commented, almost accusingly. Danny put his hands up innocently. “You make the calls, _master._ ”

Great. Now he had two pets to take care of. Both the Emperor’s possessions. Fucking great. Once again, he found the knights at the stall. Danny stepped into it carefully, scrunching his nose at the filthy floor. Joe was the first to look up, backing up when he saw the Guardian behind Pete. “Master, he’s…”

“Danny’s been ordered to help me out with Alex.”

_More like ‘keep an eye on me’._

Both knights nodded in understanding. “So you found something?”

“I did. Joe, I want you to keep Patrick company while I’m gone so the Great Marquises can’t get to him anymore.”

He gritted his teeth at the last part, staring Andy down. The knight lowered his head in guilt. “I’m sorry, sir. I won’t let you down again.”

“You better not, Hurley, or I will fucking throw you back into the pit I found you in.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re not forgiven yet, but there are more important things to deal with right now. Let’s go. I got a sighting from Benjamin in New York.”

Joe raised an eyebrow. “You got a lead from Benjamin Burnley? You sure it’s real?”

“Yeah.”

“Why’d he rat out Alexander DeLeon?” the first knight snorted. “Did he break up with Dustin?”

Andy elbowed his friend in the side, earning a pained yelp but he nodded his head towards Danny. The blonde only looked around and wasn’t really paying attention. Luckily. If Brendon heard about gateway demon Benjamin’s relationship with Seraphim Dustin, he’d probably cut his balls off for fun. It wasn’t like he could use it to his advantage. Two men could never offer him a Nephalem baby to raise.

“It’s funny how you all think I’m completely clueless”, Danny muttered, stroking the nose of the horse before him. He turned his head to them, the same smile on his face as before. “Did you know Guardians have superior senses? We hear everything. The eyes and ears of Brendon.”

He turned his face to both Joe and Pete. “ _Everything._ ”

Pete closed his eyes. Of course, they do…

 

_“The Emperor’s giving me an impossible task and he knows it. He wants me to disappoint him.”_

_“Because your recent successes are forming a threat to him”, Joe whispered. Pete nodded. “He knows I can’t take down Alexander again. Why would he… He probably wants me to either admit defeat and bow or die trying to catch him.”_

_“Must be but why?”_

_“Patrick”, Pete said. “Brendon never wanted me to own Patrick but then why did he give the angel to me?”_

_“Maybe he thought you’d politely refuse his gift?” Joe asked when Charlie turned to them. “What are you guys whispering about?”_

_“Patrick and my plans for him until the Emperor reclaims him”, Pete smiled like a true demon liar._

 

Charlie had heard them all too clear and now Danny was supposed to babysit them. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Charlie knew Pete distrusted the Emperor.

Danny hummed. “Besides, we know about Dustin and Benjamin.”

“You do?”

“Why do you think Dustin Bates is in your assignments, Seeker?” Danny asked. It was pure deception to see him smile and speak in a sweet voice. He wasn’t sweet, he wasn’t kind. He was a serpent. He wasn’t there to protect Pete. He was there to eliminate a threat to the Emperor, should he get the chance.

“Why would you want me to take down Dustin but let Benjamin roam free?”

Danny chuckled. “You’ll see. It’s gonna be gold. Brendon’s got the best ideas but Dallon’s taking credit for it.”

“Not fond of Great King Dallon?”

The blonde’s face fell. “He’s got the Emperor’s heart in his hands. I don’t like to see my master in such a vulnerable spot. I’d rather rip Dallon’s spine out.”

“Interesting.”

“Now are we catching an Archangel or not?”

The seeker nodded. “Go offer Patrick company, Joe. Andy, bring your angel blade for emergency situations but I want you to use a Hell knife so we don’t kill him.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Meet you down the hill in ten. Get ready for the biggest fight of your life.”

Andy nodded and disappeared to fetch his weaponry. Pete had everything he needed. He would play the psychological part. Alex was severely wounded after he broke free out of a prison he’d been in since Pete fell. If by chance, the torture had weakened his memory, he could play the helping hand of an angel again.

If not, he could poke into the wound of them being friends a long time ago before Pete betrayed his trust. The seeker felt it hit his stomach as a brick. Sure, it would hurt to dig into those memories but he could take it. He could handle this.

It was just a stupid Archangel.

He didn’t even know why it bothered him that much. Must be Patrick’s fault. He can’t imagine what else changed. The angel was the only recent change in his life and now his past was acting up again. _Again_.

What went wrong?

Upon their arrival at Benjamin’s gate, they shifted into human disguises once again.

“I hate these meatbags”, Danny cringed. “Oh God. Why did I have to get the freaking short straw.”

“You actually did that to figure out who should accompany us?” Andy asked.

The blonde – brunette as a human – shrugged. “No one likes leaving the Emperor’s side, I guess.”

“Enough. Ben?”

Benjamin appeared around the corner. “What’s _he_ doing here?” The demon pointed at the Guardian. “He’s the Emperor’s _pet_. Why is he here?”

“To help me out. Catching Alex DeLeon is not easy.”

“Tell me about it”, the gateway demon muttered. He raised his sleeve to show a massive gash in his arm. “The fucker left me this.”

“You approached him?” Pete asked. Ben nodded. “How can I not? I see an Archangel, I wanna impress the Emperor.”

“By dating Dustin”, Danny chuckled. “Nicely done, gateway demon.”

“You know about that?”

“We know everything about everyone”, Danny grinned as he poked Andy. “Like your relationship with Joe.”

The knight glared at him and Pete raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what?”

“Anyway”, Ben interrupted them. “You wanna know where Alex ran off to? I managed to weaken him a little. He left a trail of blood behind but I can’t leave the gate so you’ll have to follow it by yourself.”

Pete looked down to slowly follow the droplets. They were headed north. Maybe he was trying to find a gate to Heaven. Must be. The nearest gate there from these coordinates were… Yes, up north. “Thank you, Ben. Danny, Andy, on me.”

Andy nodded and Danny rolled his eyes once but both followed as Pete led the way. The droplets led them to a secluded car park. There was no gate to Heaven there but the Archangel must’ve gotten too tired to go on.

“Danny, go around. Andy, cover me.”

The Guardian disappeared and Andy turned around, walking backwards to protect Pete as they entered the area.

“Alex?!”

There was a wheeze in response. Pete whipped his head to the source of the sound. “Andy, stay here.”

“Yes, sir.”

The demon took a few steps, finding the bleeding Archangel hunched behind a car. “Alex?”

“Hi, Pete”, the being muttered, clutching his shoulder. “I can barely move. Fucking gateway demon got me good.”

“Did you really let a gateway demon hurt you? What happened to the great and powerful Alexander DeLeon?”

Memory loss most likely. The Archangel would never be this friendly if he remembered what had happened.

“Whatever happened to the great and powerful Pete Wentz?” Alexander mocked him. “I saw you, Pete, with the Nephalem at the feast. Cute, you two. I bet you’d hate it if I ripped him apart in front of you too.”

Pete flinched when Danny screamed: “IT’S A TRAP!”

The seeker looked up to find the Guardian face down on the ground, Dustin Bates digging his knee into his shoulder blade and a gun aimed at his head before Alex pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed Pete in the stomach. The pain was blinding as he twisted it further into the wound.

How did he not figure out this possibility? He had forgotten how strong and smart Alex could be. Pete tried to scream but his lungs couldn’t find the air and his vision slowly faded.

 

***

 

“I don’t understand”, Patrick broke the silence. Joe looked up. “What? It’s not that hard to. Pete wanted me to keep you company while he’s out on the mission. So you don’t get any funny ideas of escaping or to keep out the Great Marquises.”

“No, not that”, the blonde hummed. “We were talking about the first time he took down Alex DeLeon and he just… he froze and left the room just like that.”

“Ah, that. I’ve never heard the story of Alex’ capture but I know it happened before his final fall”, Joe muttered.

“Final fall?” Patrick asked. “Are there stages to the fall of an angel?”

“Yeah. Wait, you know he’s a fallen?”

“The marshals may have mentioned it”, the angel sheepishly admitted. Joe shook his head with the roll of his eyes. “Of course they did.”

“What’s the final stage?”

“Well, the fall begins with shedding feathers. The angel still has the choice to step into the light and away from Hell but if the angel doesn’t, he’ll fall eventually. Quite literally too. From what I’ve heard, Pete fell from grace after Alex was captured. He crashed into Hell. Every fallen breaks their wings in the fall and they never heal again but they are _still there_. Like useless parts of their body made to mock them.”

“That’s awful. I can’t imagine losing my wings”, Patrick sighed. “I already thought it was awful to have them smeared, let alone broken.”

“Well, yeah”, Joe shrugged.

Patrick nodded slowly, letting it fall to a silence before he asked: “Were his wings pretty?”

“He says they were the prettiest in all of Heaven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> The reference is obviously a song from The Cab because Alex DeLeon is the star of this chapter.


	9. The Light From Your Halo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I'm posting today because I'll be busy tomorrow. I'm finishing up chapter 15 as we speak so I've got a lot of material to work with but I'm unsure what's next for Pete and Patrick after chapter 16 though. Anyway, how do you like the appearance of Alex DeLeon and Dustin Bates so far? Enjoy!

_Previous on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete finally got a lead on Alex DeLeon's whereabouts from gateway demon Benjamin Burnley and heads out for him with Andy and Guardian Danny, who was ordered to keep an eye on him. Upon arrival, Danny and Pete are ambushed by Dustin and Alex in a parking lot.  
In the meantime, Joe confirms Pete is a fallen angel._

 

“What’s taking Pete so long?” Joe muttered to himself.

He sat on a chair near the large window, watching over Hell. His view didn’t only offer the sight of Hell’s towers and pits but directly below their room, was the path up hill. No soul could enter the castle unseen with a view like this. Yet there hadn’t been a single sign of Pete, Andy or Danny in the distance. They were nowhere near the hill yet. Joe didn’t know how long it would take to catch Alex. He didn’t know what to do if Pete hadn’t returned in the morning. What would he tell the angel?

Patrick had dinner, he had gotten ready for bed and he was sound asleep. Pete should’ve been back by now. It was almost midnight! This wasn’t right. Something didn’t feel right!

Midnight in Hell was lunch time in the mortal world so maybe, Pete had no idea it was this late already? Maybe he didn’t consider the changes of day and night like that? Though he left in Hell’s afternoon – mortal world’s early, early morning. He should’ve seen it switch from dark to light and realized what time it was back home.

Maybe he should send him a message…

Yeah.

Demon radio was always there to help them.

_Pete, sir? Everything alright?_

It drifted into the air, across other demonic messages like a tab in their browser. It floated away from him as time ticked away. Ten seconds. A minute. Two minutes. Ten minutes…

No sign of life from seeker demon Pete Wentz and it only worried him further.

_Andy? What’s going on out there?_

It was a futile attempt and maybe he was just overreacting. He knew from experience he didn’t always have time to reply to a message like that in the heat of the fight so that’s probably what was going on. If Pete didn’t bother to reply, neither would Andy. Both were in the same place… right?

_SOS, Joe._

That was Andy! Something was definitely up now. He wasn’t overreacting but what was he supposed to do? Wait? Sit there and do nothing while the second knight had sent him an SOS? He wouldn’t send that for no reason. In the past Andy had rather gotten hurt than called for help so what changed?

Maybe Andy wasn’t in danger.

Maybe Pete was…

But Pete would kill him if he left Patrick all alone tonight.

On the other hand… if Pete were dead, he wouldn’t be able to kill Joe for leaving Patrick by himself…

That’s it! He’d go. He had to go. He had to go find both of them – and Danny, let’s not forget that useless piece of shit Emperor-ass-kisser. Well… There were worse Guardians than Danny so maybe he shouldn’t be so mean. He shoved his chair back, wincing at the scraping sound. He wasn’t supposed to wake Patrick to avoid any curious questions. Which is actually one of his ground rules but Joe didn’t want to be the mean babysitter… Yeah yeah, he wanted the Nephalem to favour him over Andy. Hey, no one ever favoured him over Andy! Except for… Too many exceptions, forget it. He crept to the door and locked it behind him as he left.

As it clicked into the lock, Patrick opened his eyes startled and wide awake. He pushed himself upright in the covers to peer into the darkness of the room. Not even Hell’s darkness lit up his room now.

“Joe?”

Joe wasn’t there.

“Master?”

Pete wasn’t there either.

“Andy?”

Nope.

Patrick was all by himself to sleep for the first time since… well, ever.

 

***

 

Joe had to find the guys but he had no idea where they ran off to. He had to retrace their steps from the start. He had to _find_ them. Come on, finding demons should be easy. He’d seen Pete track down creatures a million times. He could do this too.

What was his lead again? Right! The gateway demon Benjamin Burnley. Still, it was strange the demon would tell on Alex considering he’s dating Dustin. Wasn’t Dustin…? Maybe he had misheard the rumours or maybe they were just rumours after all. Now he had to figure out where to find Ben.

Ben’s gate was behind a billboard in a private area in New York.  That had been Pete’s only lead so far so he couldn’t have strayed far. He should just go find Ben, ask him where the guys ran off to and he’d find them in no time, right? Yeah, that’s what he’d do. Though he stopped in his own room to fetch some weapons to prepare for battle. He couldn’t go in unarmed.

After he got the weaponry he’d been looking for, he landed a bit further from the gate. He hadn’t bothered with a human disguise. These fleshlings wouldn’t let him enter the private area if they could see him during the day so he’d possess a worker and head inside. Since well… his demonic form couldn’t actually touch stuff in the mortal world.

He had his eyes set on this one guy. He’d possess him. He was waiting for the right moment. God, it had been so long since he had needed to take over a human body. He wondered if he could still do it. As he dove down to the man, Andy tackled him to the floor. “DON’T!”

Joe hit his head, rubbing the sore spot. “Andy? What the hell?”

“Don’t do this. You don’t wanna head to Ben’s gate, Joe.”

“Why not?” the first knight asked, a little insulted. He had the habit of wanting to do stuff when people forbid him to. Kinda why he was a demon in the first place, wasn’t it?

“It’s my only lead to find Pete. They’re keeping Danny here. I’m not letting you ruin this.”

“You _lost_ Pete?!” Joe called out. No one could hear them here. The mortals couldn’t even see them or touch them.

Andy bowed his head. “It was a fucking trap, Joe. Alex wasn’t wounded at all. He got back to heaven safely but came down to take Pete away.”

“But what about the sighting? Ben saw him limping?!”

“Ben lied. He lured us in so Dustin and Alex could ambush us.”

“Dustin? Why would he… The rumours were true, weren’t they?”

Andy nodded, a little hopelessly. “They’re true. Dustin serves Alex now.”

 

***

 

“Wakey wakey.”

Alex smacked Pete across the face. The demon gasped in response, fully awake but still a little groggy. He tried to move but both his hands and feet were restrained. He was sitting on a chair, arms behind his back and feet tied to the legs of the chair. The fog in his head slowly dissolved, offering him a summary of what just happened. Dustin and Alex ambushed him and Danny.

What about Andy?

Did he get away in time?

Alex had stabbed him. He looked down at his abdomen. The blood painted his shirt red and there was an itching ache present. Good, it was closing already thanks to his superior healing factor.

What happened to the Guardian? Was he alright? The last thing he saw, was Dustin pressing a gun against his head. If those contained bullets made in Heaven – ironic, right? Weaponry made in the most peaceful place ever – Danny would be dead as soon as Dustin pulled the trigger. Did he kill him?

Did his old friend have the balls to kill anyone, really? Alex cocked his head, staring fascinatedly at the demon seeker. It was almost creepy. The Archangel stood before the chair at full height. He wasn’t harmed in any way, no bleeding, nothing. There wasn’t even a scratch. There was no way his healing factor could’ve healed him _that_ quickly. The white wings on his back shone proudly in the dim light of wherever the fuck they were. “You-…  You’re not injured.”

It was both a question and a statement. Alex turned his head to grin at Dustin. The Seraphim was standing in the back, a little nervous and a lot less attitude than his superior in front of him. “I wasn’t wounded, no.”

“But Benjamin…”

Dustin shifted uncomfortably.

“Ah, yes! Ben, Dustin’s little boyfriend from Hell. He’s truly a demon, isn’t he? Sending you some bait so we’d get to you a lot easier. You _trusted_ his intel. How painful was that?”

Fucking Benjamin Burnley told on his own kind to help a Seraphim. He couldn’t believe it.

“Where’s Danny?”

“He’s fine. Locked away someplace different”, Alex smirked. “We don’t want anyone taking away both our toys at once, should anyone come for you.”

 _Should anyone come for you_.

Pete knew Andy would come up with a plan to save him, if he had gotten away. He couldn’t ask about the second knight. Alex would hunt him down, he knew that much.

“You were pretty upset when I mentioned your little Nephalem, Pete”, Alex teased. “I hadn’t seen that look on your face since… Since when, Dustin?”

Dustin kept his eyes to the floor, face straight. “Since the fall, sir.”

“Yes! Since the fall! You broke your wings and had the same fucking look on your face!” Alex called out. He pulled up a chair to sit in front of Pete. “Now how about I fucking use Patrick the way you used Cash, huh? Would you be angry? I wonder if you’d be foolish enough to try and fight me.”

Cash. Pete hadn’t forgotten. Cash Colligan. He’d been Alex’ student at the time. A young and bright Seraphim, ready to learn everything from his master – THE Archangel. One day he may have achieved that rank but for then, he’d been nothing but a servant. A servant and Alex’ sole weakness.

“I would be indifferent. Patrick’s my pet, not my secret lover.”

Alex’ expression dropped.

“I warned you”, Pete growled. “I fucking warned you. I told you what would happen to Cash if you didn’t put down the guns but you didn’t want to end it peacefully so it’s your own fucking fault he died in the crossfire.”

“Oh I’m sorry, Pete. Did you expect me to go ‘that makes sense, chain me up!’?”

Pete scrunched his nose. “You’re awful.”

Alex smiled. A cold, degrading smile. “You thought I suffered from memory loss, didn’t you? You thought I was injured so bad that you’d be able to take me down again. You’ve been in Hell for far too long, fallen. You’ve forgotten the true power of an Archangel.”

“ _You_ ’ve been in Hell for too long, Alex. You behave like a demon. Have you shed any feathers yet?”

Alex glared and shuddered, probably ready to strike down the seeker out of line.

“Pete, please stop”, Dustin begged quietly. “Try not to get killed on your first hour here. We’re not keeping you forever.”

Pete sighed. Dustin had always been like this. Always been a weak spot. Always been one of the few lights in the darkness. One of the few perfections in between Heaven’s flaws.

Alex glared back at Dustin. “Quiet. You ruined the fun.”

“You find joy in torture, master? Why, you’ve really changed during your stay in Hell.”

“My stay?” the other asked insulted. “MY STAY?!”

Pete flinched and Dustin shrunk at the loudness of his voice but Alex wasn’t done yet. “You act like I’ve been away in some luxurious paradise. I wasn’t. You know what I did for the past centuries? I healed. I healed because the next day, I’d break all of my bones again as they tortured me. I lost so much blood, my healing factor could barely keep up. I thought I was done for. Me, the most powerful of immortals!”

“I’m sorry”, Dustin whispered, voice small.

The Archangel shook his head, a small sign of compassion seeping through the hardened mask he wore. It was something to get used to – a new servant. No one would ever replace Cash. Pete felt a different kind of anger boil up. Alex treated Dustin like a second-hand minion. He didn’t deserve that. “I’m gonna go check on Ben and Danny. You keep an eye on Pete, alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

With a final glare, Alex slammed the door shut behind him. The seeker kept his eyes away from the Seraphim’s. _He’d rather tell his superiors ‘no’ than face Dustin in his current form.  
_ Unfortunately, that nightmare became reality now. He was sitting right in front of Dustin. In his current form.

“I didn’t recognize you, wearing that skin” Pete muttered. The angel shrugged, disposing of his disguise to reveal his true form. Wings a lighter shade of grey.

“Have you shed any feathers?”

“I haven’t.”

Why would that be? He was having an affair with a demon. He wasn’t supposed to still be a true angel of the lord. “How come? We’re the same. I followed the path of sin and fell. You’re following it now. Why aren’t you falling?”

The angel jumped forward, suddenly in Pete’s face. “You and I are _not_ the same, Pete Wentz. You _killed_ a Seraphim! You killed one of my friends!”

“Is that why you told Alex I was coming for him?”

“I had to, Pete. He’s my superior.”

“You used to be on my side, no matter what”, the seeker growled. Dustin gave him a cold stare in return. “Yeah. But you’re no longer an angel, are you? God made sure a different angel took me under his wings. Alex _offered_ to take me in. Your fall almost cost me my life.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why’d you fall, Pete? Life in Heaven was amazing before you made a deal with the devil.”

Pete shrugged. “I guess we have a different definition of ‘amazing’ then.”

“I guess we do”, Dustin sighed, “Alex won’t be back for a while. Ben’s keeping Danny near the gate so he doesn’t have to leave his post.”

He flicked a knife out of his sleeve and pointed it at the demon. Pete pulled away, trying his best to avoid the sharp thing but Dustin didn’t attack him. He cut the ropes around his hands and feet. “Go. Leave. I’ll tell Alex your minion outsmarted me. Now go.”

“Why would you…?”

Dustin smiled sadly. “I guess I’m a loyal, sentimental fool, _master_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> I know this chapter is a mindfuck but although I haven't confirmed yet, you can easily tell what Pete used to be in Heaven if you pay attention to Dustin's relationship to him.
> 
> Also, the title is from Halo by Starset because it obviously focuses on Dustin and Pete's past.
> 
> Quick recap of Pete's past;  
> Pete threatened to kill Cash Colligan - Alex' student and secret boyfriend - if Alex didn't lay down the weapons but Alex refused so Pete killed Cash and fell from Grace because killing a Seraphim is a serious offense.  
> Why Alex and Pete were in battle, you'll read later in the story.  
> Why Dustin almost died during Pete's fall, you'll read later as well.


	10. What You'd Do For The Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I know I was supposed to update yesterday but come on, you know my excuse. I've posted more on Thursdays than any other day. Anyway, as you may or may not know, there's a gorey chapter coming up and I've been working very very hard on that chapter with the advice of the lovely LaurelSilver aka The Queen of Gore in the HU fandom. Her advice has been so useful. I listened to 2 hours of rattling cages and piercing screams to write the first part, oh God. Anyway, rewriting the chapter allows me to reconsider the next steps for the storyline. Fancy way of admitting chapter 17's plagued by a writersblock... Enjoy

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

 

_Joe gets an SOS from Andy and leaves Patrick by himself. It's been revealed that Pete Wentz took down Alex DeLeon as an angel and fell from Grace after killing the Archangel's student and secret lover Cash Colligan. Dustin Bates, a Seraphim with a seemingly strong connection to Pete, is now Alex' new student. Once Alex leaves, Dustin frees Pete out of sentiment for his old master._

 

Patrick was having a rough night. It was the first time ever he’d slept without supervision. At home – in the prison of the mountain keep – either Oliver or Gabe had always been present to watch over him. They were too afraid of someone snatching him away or that he’d walk out on them. He’d never been this alone so now the poor angel couldn’t sleep. He had a bad feeling something was wrong.

Joe left.

He wasn’t sure what that meant. Was his master in danger? Did he disobey his master? A bit of both? He had no idea and he didn’t like being kept in the dark. Especially since he only recently figured out his so-called home had been a prison! He had pushed that information to a dark corner in his mind to forget about it. He’d deal with it once he left Hell.

The smeared words on his wings were fading but they were a constant reminder of what might happen while Joe wasn’t there. Or while Pete was away. It scared him so bad he had tried the door to the bedroom a few times already but there was no reason to panic. It was firmly locked.

Joe didn’t make Andy’s mistake.

He sighed. It was so lonely and the fear kept him from sleeping. He wished Pete was here but he wasn’t. He wanted his _owner_. He hated the word and he hated how it empowered Pete but he promised he’d protect Patrick if the angel followed his ground rules so he was the closest to safety he’d ever get in Hell.

He wanted someone to protect him from the night like the angels had done all his life but at the same time, he wanted them all to back off. If Pete’s words were true and he’d been a captive all his life, then he was nothing more than an independent creature. He couldn’t survive on his own. He didn’t know anything about the world outside of the mountain keep and Heaven. Another imperfection to add to his existence.

The angels had kept him from _developing his demonic powers_. He wasn’t even a full Nephalem like this.

What demonic powers did he have? He didn’t know anything about being a demon. Hadn’t Pete mentioned a few powers he was supposed to have?

He did. What were they again?

_“Can you catch onto demon radio?”_

_“Can you resurrect? Can you extract a soul?”_

_“Can you possess?”_

He had no idea if there were any more powers he had to figure out but three out of the four he couldn’t do. He’d need a human soul or body to do the latter three so he’d try to catch onto demon radio. How hard would it be?

Wait, what _is_ demon radio?

 

***

 

How would Pete get a hold of his knights? His message mustn’t get intercepted by Ben or he’d let Alex know the demon was a free soul. Or would he? Ben would surely contact Dustin but he’d never directly tell Alex himself, would he? No, Ben was loyal. Not to his kind but at least he was loyal to his boyfriend. Dustin was the one who freed him. The serving Seraphim wouldn’t alert Alex.

Pete limped through the streets, human disguise long lost to make sure no human could see him in his current form. The wound in his stomach throbbed like a nasty reminder of his every step. It was healing but it hadn’t healed nearly enough to do this. He put a strain on it by walking a distance like that. He had no choice but to use demon radio to contact his knights. He’d collapse before he’d find them at this pace.

_Andy._

_Meet me in front of the castle._

He pressed his eyes shut tightly while teleporting back to Hell. The second knight replied with an affirmative message a few minutes later but strangely, so did Joe. Why would he? Wasn’t he with Patrick?

Right. Patrick.

He hadn’t had the chance to spend time with the angel yet but it seemed forever since he caught him and brought him home. Maybe his injury would be reason enough for the Emperor to give him a day off but he wasn’t sure. Danny was still a captive after all.

He’d report to the castle what happened so far. The Emperor could decide their next steps for Danny’s rescue. He’d probably want them to head straight into battle and do everything they can to rescue the Guardian but still, it was in his best interest to report the unexpected turn of events first.

Standing at the bottom of the hill, Joe and Andy appeared before Pete. The seeker took in the first knight with a suspicious glare. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Patrick?”

Joe bowed his head. “Yes, sir, but I got an SOS from Andy.”

“And Andy gave you permission to leave your post? Is Andy calling the shots now? What’s with my knights and disobeying my orders?!” Pete’s voice got louder with each word until he shouted at the first knight.

Andy looked away but Joe stepped closer, scowl on his features. “I wouldn’t have left my post if you had focused on your task ahead, _master_. You let yourself get distracted by Alex as soon as he mentioned Patrick!”

“Don’t talk back to me, Joe. I will-…”

“You’ll what? _Master._ You’ve got no fire power left. You’ve been soft since the stupid Nephalem arrived and reduced us to babysitters. You let your angelic side get the better of you”, Joe growled.

“My angelic side is non-existent”, Pete hissed.

Joe scoffed but Pete shoved him. The knight stumbled backwards and fell, a little dazed when Pete towered over him, eyes blazing red. “I am your superior and you will not treat me like a misbehaving child, Joe Trohman.”

Joe gasped, staring at his master in awe.

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“There’s our master”, the knight whispered as he scurried upright. He bowed his head. “I apologize, sir. I was worried you were letting Patrick get to you. Angels deceive.”

“Angels deceive”, Pete confirmed, cooling off instantly like dark clouds evaporating before the sun. “Now where were both of you?”

“Ben’s gate. They’re keeping Danny there”, Andy answered.

“I see”, the man hummed. He had somewhat calmed down but it was alarming to see Joe rebel against him like that. He had no idea his change of heart since the young Nephalem had arrived, had been that obvious to his servants.

“Let’s head inside”, he muttered, walking ahead of both his knights up the path to the castle. He looked up at his bedroom window to find Patrick staring off into the distance. He hadn’t spotted them but he was looking for him. He must be confused. It was morning after all. It brought a small smile to his face to spot him searching in the distance so frantically. Joe followed his gaze, face dropping instantly when he saw the reason to Pete’s delight.

Inside the Great Hall, five out of six Guardians surrounded the Emperor’s throne and Dallon was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t been around as much as yesterday. Strange. Brendon lifted his head off his hand when he noticed the three of them, frowning at the absence of Danny. His eyes were drawn to the dried blood on Pete’s shirt and it all seemed to fall into place. “Seeker, I’m not sure if you’re here to cry victory or defeat. Since you don’t carry Alex with you, I assume you were defeated.”

Pete bowed, wincing at his pain but he still tried to bow the best he could. Both his knights followed his example. “Sir, there was an ambush. Benjamin Burnley, the gateway demon-…”

“The traitor dating a Seraphim”, Brendon interrupted. “I know him.”

“He provided us with false information to lure us into a trap. Joe was with Patrick, Andy got away but Danny and I were captured.”

At the mention of Danny’s capture, the Guardians grew restless. Johnny glanced at Charlie who clenched his jaw. The other three looked away.

“Where is my Guardian now? You got away so he must’ve escaped with you?”

“No, sir”, Pete replied. “Dustin Bates freed me from my restraints. Danny’s kept imprisoned at Ben’s gate.”

“Why did Dustin free you?” the Emperor hummed.

“Because I used to be his master in Heaven, sir.”

“Are you sure you can handle bringing him here for your next mission then?”

“Excuse me?”

Brendon got up, stepped off the few steps of his throne to stand in front of Pete. “Get up. It’s so degrading to see you bow during conversation. You have to capture Dustin next. Will you be able to capture your old friend?”

Pete stood up, his knights remained in a kneeling position. “I-I think so. Sir, did you not hear me? Danny is-…”

“Yeah yeah, Danny’s imprisoned at Benjamin Burnley’s gate. He’s a big boy. He’ll escape if he’s a worthy Guardian.”

“But sir, he’s in the hands of an Archangel!”

Brendon’s head whipped back to stare at the seeker, eyes lit up. “Do not talk back to your supreme ruler, Seeker. I command you to stay put. You will _not_ attempt to free Danny. I’ll figure out what to do about the Archangel since you clearly couldn’t take him on.”

The Emperor pointed at the wound in Pete’s side who grumbled in response.

One of the Guardians stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Your Eminence, if I may. We could retrieve Danny for you.”

Brendon shook his head. “No, Jay, you will not. All five of you will stay by my side to protect me as it should be.”

“But sir”, Charlie stepped in but Brendon glared him down. “I said ‘no’, Guardians. You’re not even supposed to _care_ about the fate of your _friend._ ”

“I’m sorry, sir”, Charlie muttered, clearly upset with the reply he got. Dylan made a face at him. All Guardians seemed to disagree with the Emperor’s choice. Maybe these creatures did care for someone other than Brendon. Pete wasn’t sure but it looked like it.

“If my Guardians return to their usual self, I can continue”, the Emperor sneered with a glance to his side. The five looked down like told-off kids. “Take care of your wound, Pete. I’m giving you some time off to recover so enjoy Patrick for now.”

“Thank you, Your Eminence. My apologies for this failed mission.”

“Dismissed.”

The seeker gestured for his knights to get up and follow him outside the Great Hall and into the hallway. “Don’t you think it’s strange he won’t send anyone to help Danny?”

Andy shrugged. “Maybe he needs them to protect him. There are plenty of demons out there who want to take the throne.”

“That’s true”, Pete muttered. “Well, you heard him. I get some time off to recover so take this time to yourselves, knights. Go.”

Both bowed with a mumbled “yes, sir” before they left the castle. Now the seeker could finally go upstairs, the wound in his stomach still stung but he’d survive. He wondered what Patrick had been up to yesterday evening up to this morning. He turned the key in the lock of his door and found Patrick by the window again. He turned around to face the seeker, eyes drawn to the wound in his side instantly. His breath hitched as he walked closer. “Master, your side…”

“It’s fine. I got stabbed by an Archangel”, Pete hushed the angel but Patrick still carefully touched the dried blood on his shirt. His eyes met Pete’s full of blue worry. “ _Stabbed_ by an Archangel?”

The demon was surprised to find Patrick so bothered by that fact. He frowned. “It’s just a wound, Patrick.”

“It’s proof of dodged danger. What if it had been a demon knife?”

“Then I would’ve died.”

“And the Emperor would’ve reclaimed me. Your fate affects mine, _sir_.”

Pete raised an eyebrow and sighed. “For a moment there, I thought you gave a shit about me, little angel.”

Patrick glared up at him and the demon couldn’t help it, he hugged the angel with a smile. “It’s almost cute how you respond to banter.”

“What happened anyway?” the Nephalem asked, hesitantly bringing his hands to rest on Pete’s back.

“A heavenly ambush”, the demon sarcastically replied. “Alex is fucking twisted after his stay in Hell. I don’t get how he’s still an angel. He’ll fall like this.”

Patrick scowled to himself. “Good”, he muttered into Pete’s shoulder before the fallen let go of him. “I got the day off thanks to this wound. To heal, the Emperor said.”

“Do you want me to heal you?” the Nephalem asked hesitantly.

 “Y-you can heal?”

The angel nodded. He reached back to pull a feather off his wing and held it against the wound. It lit up and closed instantly, not even a scar. “Oliver calls it ‘ethereal healing’. My wings are made of healing feathers to heal anything but itself. I can’t heal my own body parts and the feathers don’t always grow back.”

“So you’re very careful with them. Thank you, Patrick”, Pete whispered.

The angel smiled shortly before it faded into a grim expression. “Joe disappeared and you hadn’t returned yet. I was afraid… a little worried too.”

Pete’s eyed held nothing but compassion, no taunt and no venom as he rested his head on top of Patrick’s hair. “Joe left to come find me. He should’ve stayed here with you. I’m sorry”

“It’s fine”, Patrick muttered, unsure what to make of this sudden affection when he stepped back.

“We’ve got all day now. Anything _you_ wanna do? Besides breaking free”, Pete offered, earning a chuckle from the angel. “I’d like to develop my demonic powers, if you don’t mind teaching me?”

“Why?” the demon asked surprised.

“If the Emperor finds out I’m a useless Nephalem, he’ll have me killed. I can feel it.”

“You might be right about that”, the seeker mused.

“You know how to develop these, right? You had to learn it too when you fell-…”

Too late Patrick realized he had slipped up and Pete’s face turned sour in an instant. “Who told you?”

“I-I… I’m sorry, sir. The marshals did and Joe confirmed it.”

“Joe? Interesting”, he growled.

A silence fell over them when Patrick looked up. “Were you a Seraphim?”

Pete offered him a half-smile. “In a way. I was a _serving Seraphim_ for a while.”

The angel stepped back, surprised. “ _You_ were an _Archangel?!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> Poor Danny, I bet the Guardians don't like leaving him behind...
> 
> Yes! Pete Wentz himself was an Archangel before he fell. You could've figured that out by yourself thanks to last chapter. Alex' student is Dustin and Dustin called Pete "master" at the end soooo yeah, Dustin used to be Pete's student instead. The question remains though, why?
> 
> Patrick's wings possess ethereal healing, yes. Each angel's wings have a unique ability and a unique composition (bonelength, featherlength, colours etc.)
> 
> This chapter's reference comes out of a Starset song once more, this time Down With The Fallen, I believe.


	11. Black Flag Hanging Over The Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi, guys! I know, I was supposed to update yesterday but oh well, lazy, I guess. Anyway, I should get back into the HU fandom. I've written a thing or two for it but I've been neck deep into reading for another fandom and well, reading takes up a fuckton of time! Anyway, enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_A wounded Pete was reunited with his knights and brought their report to the Emperor. Brendon forbid Pete to put an effort into freeing Danny, which made the Guardians uneasy. Home again, Joe doesn't quite like how soft Pete's been since Patrick showed up. Patrick reveals he possessed Ethereal Healing and heals Pete's wound with a feather of his wings. Then Pete reveals he used to be an Archangel._

 

A serving Seraphim was born for greatness.

They are a small group of Seraphim who dedicate their lives to learning how to be a proper Archangel. All serving Seraphim must serve a master – an Archangel – to learn how to be a true powerful being. After their learning process was completed, God would grant them the power of the Archangel. Once a serving Seraphim gained the title of Archangel, they were welcomed to a select group to help lead and maintain Heaven; the High Council.

Pete had been a council member, raised to be the best of his kind and set as an example for the young serving Seraphim Dustin Bates. Unfortunately Dustin lost his master after Pete fell from Grace. A serving Seraphim with no master was shunned by all of Heaven. They considered that student a failure because he was both unable to protect his master and he’d been learning from a toxic being. Who knows what sins Dustin must’ve learned from his fallen master?

If a serving Seraphim can not find a new master, he’ll be executed for treason in his master’s place. It was cruel but true. In order to save the poor student, an Archangel following the ways of the Lord must teach him the right things and pull him away from the path of sin. That’s how Alex DeLeon had ‘saved’ Dustin from a painful death. It seemed only logical. Alex was a master without a student. Dustin was a student without a master.

It stung to find Dustin serving someone new. Especially the man responsible for the loss of his wings, Pete thought to himself before he called out: “Focus, Patrick!”

“How can I try to grasp something I didn’t even know existed?!”

“Wonder if that’s what atheists feel like when they enter Heaven”, Pete murmured to himself but Patrick groaned. “I can’t do this, master.”

“Yeah, you can. Come on. Focus on me. I’ll say some shit on demon radio.”

_Come on, little Nephalem._

_You can do better than this._

_I wonder what’s for lunch?_

“Me too”, Patrick muttered. “I’m crazy hungry.”

“Wait, you caught onto that?” Pete asked.

The Nephalem cocked his head. “The lunch-thing? _That_ was demon radio? I thought you were talking to me for real!”

“With my mouth closed?”

“Maybe you’re a ventriloquist?” Patrick offered with a smile and Pete shook his head. “No, I’m not. Sadly. Try again but not with me this time. Try to find a message from someone else.”

The pair sat across from each other on the ground. Pete figured chairs weren’t interesting when training demonic powers. Patrick closed his eyes, trying to focus again. “Come on, little angel.”

“Could you not call me that?”

“I’m calling the shots, little pet of mine”, Pete teased but Patrick opened an eye to roll it at him.

“Did you just diss your master?”

Patrick stared at him with big, blue eyes. “I’m sorry, master. Better?”

“Much.”

“So what was being an Archangel like?”

“Archangel-y”, Pete replied. “And quit asking. You know what I said about curious questions.”

“Your mood sure drops fast, doesn’t it?”

“Hush, Patrick and go for it. If you can do this, I’ll try to help you with the next power. I’m not sure if I can though because it’s a Nephalem ability, not a demonic one.”

“What is it?”

“Probably the one thing the Emperor wants you to use for his plan”, Pete mused to himself. “It’s converting demonic energy into angelic. You should be able to cloak my demonic nature so they won’t sense I’m not an angel.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? I mean, if I were to take you to Heaven, you could attack God…”

Pete shrugged, pretending he didn’t know what Patrick was talking about but he knew all too well. He knew exactly it was the Emperor’s intention to use the angel cloak to get into heaven with his army so Pete had to make sure the Nephalem could convert large armies into angelic beings. He knew Brendon wouldn’t spare Patrick once he found out he couldn’t do what was needed for the ambush. He’d kill the poor kid.

Pete didn’t want-… Why the hell did he even care?

Why the fuck would he care if Patrick lived or not? He was just a stupid temporary pet. Had he really grown soft like Joe said?

Pete stared off into the distance, frowning at his own thoughts.

“What’s up?”

The seeker’s eyes shot back to the Nephalem who seemed relaxed. Too relaxed. He was supposed to be on edge, afraid of Pete’s every move because he might just tear off a wing, a feather or worse but Patrick wasn’t! He had _healed_ his wound with one of his rare feathers… _I’m so weak_ , Pete thought to himself and the thought ignited a fire inside of himself. He didn’t want to be weak ever again. He had felt so damn weak when he had crashed and burned to the ground and promised himself to never let anyone get to him anymore. Here he was, growing weak at the knees because of this simple pet.

How could he?

“Sir?”

“What did Joe tell you about my fall?”

Patrick shrugged. “Not much. You took down Alex, crashed and burned to Hell’s soil. Broke your wings like all fallen angels.”

The seeker hummed. “That’s it? Nothing about Cash Colligan? Nothing about my wings?”

“That they were the prettiest you ever saw”, the angel beamed.

“They were. Literally God given”, Pete sighed in remembrance.

“Can I see them now?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I say so.”

“Master?” Patrick shook lightly. Pete didn’t realize he had gotten up to stand. The angel pushed himself up as well. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Stop pretending to care. You’re my captive, not my friend.”

“Can’t I be both if we’re gonna be stuck with each other for a while?” Patrick asked.

 _No, because it’ll hurt like Hell once the Emperor decides to kill you_ , Pete thought, keeping the thoughts to himself. He had to get rid of this sympathy inside of him. He didn’t like it when his _angelic side_ popped up like this.

“I’ve never seen broken wings of a fallen before”, Patrick stated. “That’s why I asked, sir. Not to see your pain.”

“I can’t show them.”

The angel cocked his head.

“I no longer have my wings.”

“What?”

“I cut them off after the fall. Couldn’t bear to look at them anymore.”

Patrick stared at him in horror. “But… Why would you… Now you can never restore them again!”

“Look at me, Patrick. Do I look like a fallen with the possibility of returning to Heaven? My fall was final. I’ve done worse stuff than kill a Seraphim after the fall. You don’t know how many angels I’ve murdered for my missions. Heaven would never take me back.”

“But… God said anything can be forgiven”, Patrick hummed.

“God tells white lies to prevent riots”, Pete growled.

The angel was about to comment but decided against. It would be better if he didn’t try to change the mind of a seeker class demon on God. There was a heavy knock on the door, drawing attention from both beings. Pete whipped his head around to stare at it. “Who is it?!”

“Friendly visitor”, came a low voice. Pete didn’t recognize it as one of his enemies so he shrugged, made his way to the door and opened it just a crack to find one of the Emperor’s Guardians’ intense blue eyes staring at him in utter boredom. “May I come in?”

Pete squinted his eyes suspiciously. “Did the Emperor send you?”

“No.”

The seeker raised an eyebrow and opened the door further for him to come in. The Guardian’s eyes flickered for only a second, taking in the entire environment and all possible threats with a single glance. Patrick scurried back a little, wings gone instantly. He only ever seemed to show them to Pete and that one night of the feast when Pete had asked him to show them. Maybe he was still embarrassed by the fading words the Great Marquises had left on him.

This Guardian was tall and intimidating, nothing like Charlie or Danny. Both of them could take a joke or crack a smile but Johnny? God forbid!

_“What? Think I’ll lock you up or something?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Come on. He would’ve sent Johnny if that were the case”, the Guardian muttered. “He’s the tall and scary one.”_

He was right about that but if the Emperor hadn’t sent him, then Johnny wasn’t here to lock him up or to take him to a dungeon. Then why was he here?

“If the Emperor did not send you, then what business do you have here?”

 _Subtle, Pete,_ he thought to himself, barely supressing an eye roll.

Johnny shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know why we’re doing this but the other Guardians and I agreed to ask for your help.”

“My help? It’s my day off”, Pete muttered. “And what could you assassins possibly need me for? You’re more powerful.”

“I know”, Johnny hushed him, a smug look hiding behind the poker face of steel. “But we can’t leave the castle. Brendon wants us to protect him due to reasons to believe there’s an incoming threat on his life. He wants us with him at all cost so we can’t retrieve Danny. I want you and your knights to get him back.”

“Why? The Emperor forbid it. Are you disobeying the Emperor?”

Johnny glared at him. “We can protect the Emperor a lot better with our sixth Guardian. Our strategies were made for six people. He’s our missing link.”

“The Emperor would replace him in no time.”

The Guardian sighed defeated. “Fine, we care about Danny. We need him. The guys are really worried about his fate. He’s a killer assassin, great at what he does but he’s just so… soft. He wasn’t supposed to be on the battlefield like this. He’s our middle member. Protected by Charlie and I and enforced by Jay. We don’t think he’s gonna make it on his own and we fear what Alex will do to him.”

“I see”, Pete grinned to himself. He could use this. He could use this in his favour. The Guardians were disobeying the Emperor’s orders! “What’s in it for me though?”

Johnny’s face turned grim, almost a look of disgust like Pete were unworthy of his efforts. “I had a nasty feeling you wouldn’t share our concern for Danny.”

“Of course not. He was sent to babysit me. I’m not a child.”

“What do you want?” he asked. Pete looked back at Patrick. The angel looked so innocent like that, completely clueless as to why Pete wouldn’t just help him out in a heartbeat. It was like he couldn’t understand why someone would refuse to help when they could. Poor naïve angel.

“Information.”

Johnny raised an eyebrow. “Elaborate.”

“I want the truth. Was I assigned to retrieve Alex as an impossible task to eliminate me or to remind me of my place?” Pete asked, dead serious.

Johnny shook his head. “Your recent successes prove you’re more capable than the Emperor had initially thought. He doesn’t want Alex out there and you fit the profile to get him… again.”

“Is he in any way suspicious of my actions? Was I supposed to refuse Patrick as a gift?” Pete wondered and Patrick looked up. “No! I don’t wanna be his pet instead.”

“Hush, angel”, the seeker bit and the blonde glared back at him. He had to keep Johnny’s eyes off Patrick and make sure he wouldn’t sense the slumbering sympathy. Brendon would just love to find some dirt on Pete.

“He is… Brendon’s…” Johnny carefully considered the question. “The imminent threat on his life is making him paranoid so he’s suspicious of anyone’s actions right now. While he did consider the gift a mistake and while he did think you wanted to overthrow him at first, you’re not our main concern and we’re in no way ordered to _babysit_ you. Danny was sent to help you and he did _not_ like that degrading job.”

“Alright. When will he take Patrick back?” Pete asked but Johnny shook his head. “You just got a lot of information. I want you to retrieve Danny or I will make sure the Emperor has reason to believe you’re our main priority to eliminate.”

“Thanks”, the seeker sarcastically replied. “It’s my day off. The Emperor will be suspicious of my actions if I do something now.”

“Then wait.”

“But that still doesn’t cover why I would free Danny when he ordered me not to.”

Johnny huffed and turned his back to the seeker, stepping towards the door. “You’re smart, seeker, you’ll figure something out.”

Just like that, the Guardian left the two alone again. Patrick cocked his head curiously. “Will you get back Danny for them?”

“I have no choice. The Guardians are his eyes and ears. If Johnny decides to blackmail me with any kind of crap, Brendon will not hesitate to take me out. I just don’t know how I’ll get him back without making it seem like I disobeyed his order to leave it be”, he looked up from his thoughts to find the angel staring at him with big, clueless blue eyes. He had no idea what to make of it and it was kinda cute.

Pete ruffled the blonde hair. “Come on, focus on Demon Radio again.”

He growled, combing a hand through his hair. “Don’t do that.”

“I’m your master. I own you”, Pete huffed, “I can do with you whatever I want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> Oh no, the Guardians defy the Emperor?  
> This chapter's title refers to Tendencies by Hollywood Undead because Johnny's the main focus here. Based on Danny's verse "there's a black flag hanging over this town, get down!"


	12. Helpless And Left For Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I realize I'm 1 week too late with the update but I haven't really had time to finish the gore scene, which is due next week (sigh). Anyway, I'm trying to post more regularly for both HU and TOAS so there's that. Enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Pete helps Patrick develop his demonic side when Guardian Johnny 3 Tears comes knocking on their door. The Guardians, cold-blooded assissins who care about no one but the Emperor, worry for Danny and need Pete to retrieve him safe and sound._

 

“Pete Wentz, I’ll be damned.”

Long legs, perfect curves. Exactly what you’d expect from a demon, maybe a succubus even but it would be a bit mean to assume that by appearance. All demon warriors were made to sin and tempt all creatures into joining them. Pete swirled some liquor in his glass around and stared at it. “Who’s asking?”

“No enemy”, she promised with a wink and it was all he had to know to get carried away. It had been far too long since he could just let go on an evening off and enjoy himself for once. Just sit in a bar outside the castle, have a drink and go home with someone he wouldn’t remember the next day. It used to be a habit but ever since Patrick arrived last week, he hadn’t done it anymore. He had wanted to be home for his little pet, like wanting to go home to have your dog sit in your lap or something. He wasn’t sure if he liked it so tonight he made sure he’d go home with the pretty warrior demon.

***

“Next time you wanna hook up with someone, find a babysitter. We agreed to keep an eye on him during _missions_ , not _this_. I’m not doing that anymore and Patrick can’t stand Andy so you’ll have to find someone else for your dirty chores”, Joe growled, shoving past Pete as he walked by after an exhausting night of watching the angel. The seeker glared daggers into his back but decided to ignore this little tantrum of his. They’d get to talk plenty once he took off to rescue Danny. No, to capture Dustin. Two birds with one stone. Pete would head to Benjamin’s to find Dustin for his upcoming mission and he’d free Danny in the process.

That way, he could make sure the Emperor didn’t get suspicious, yet carry out the task given by Johnny 3 Tears. He’d been gathering information to set up a plan all week. He would never head into battle without a plan again. Pete shut the door behind him. Patrick stood in front of the life-size mirror, a sponge in hand. He had his tongue out in concentration as he tried to reach a particular smudgy spot on his left wing. The only wing to still have a word clearly written on it.

It was entertaining to see him try and reach it but he couldn’t. Like scratching his back. Pete folded his arms, watching amused for a full five minutes until Patrick looked up to find him in the reflection. “Oh! Master!”

“Want me to help you with that?”

The angel ducked his head. “If you’d like, yes.”

Pete took over the sponge and carefully rubbed it over the black markings. “How in the world did you ever wash your wings back home?”

“I didn’t. They usually self-cleanse when it comes to dirt and ruffled feathers but well… a sharpie is something they’re not used to.”

The seeker hummed in response. All angels have wings with unique abilities. Patrick’s self-cleanse and heal other beings. Pete couldn’t help but think about his own abilities from the past.

“Where were you last night, sir?”

“Away.”

“I noticed but…?”

Pete furrowed his eyebrows. “Don’t ask curious questions.”

Unfair to kick in that rule again when Patrick has broken it countless of times but Pete had to find a way to regain control over these situations. He had to find a way to detach himself from this kid again and live like he wasn’t even there, just a meaningless pet in his room, waiting for the Emperor to take him to execution cause that was what he’d get if he didn’t figure out soon how to cloak a demon.

Pete wasn’t supposed to care. He didn’t care! He didn’t.

Fuck.

Stupid Archangel side.

Patrick must’ve noticed the growing scowl on his face and opened his mouth about five times before he finally spoke again. “Can I ask if you ever met Cody?”

Pete sighed. “Fine. Yeah, I knew Cody Carson. He was a council member too back in my days.”

“Trevor?”

“Who?”

“Trevor McNevan. He’s been an Archangel since… Well, as long as I can remember.”

“Do you know his seat number in the High Council?”

“Four, I think.”

The seeker huffed. “Are you trying to piss me off, angel?”

“What? No! Why would you think that, master?”

“That was my position.”

“Oh…”

Pete shook his head and handed him back the sponge. “I should get ready for the mission. I’m gonna need both my knights for this one so behave, will you?”

“I will, sir”, Patrick sighed, a strange veil of sorrow cast over him. He had disappointed his master and he’d never seen him this grumpy before. He didn’t know how to respond to that. “Is everything alright though? You’ve never been this… harsh before.”

“If anything, Patrick, the week was an exception”, Pete bit back as he dug into the walk-in closet to gather the weapons for his mission. “If you need anything, practice demon radio to contact me, alright?”

“Yes, sir”, Patrick muttered while Pete swung the bag over his shoulder. The demon nodded approvingly and stepped outside of his room to lock the door behind him. He couldn’t try demon radio to gather the knights. Benjamin would catch onto it and Pete was pretty sure Dustin wouldn’t let him take Danny without a fight.

Instead he’d go search for the knights at the stall again but on his way down, he bumped into both men. “Joe, Andy, I was on my way to see you.”

“If it’s about Patrick, save it”, Joe growled. “If it’s about the mission, go on ahead.”

“Real brave”, Andy muttered.

Pete stared both of them down to silence. “I don’t know why you both seem so keen on talking back lately but cut it out. Just because I have an angel under my wi-… guard doesn’t mean you guys can go have fun and give me an attitude.”

“Apologies, master”, Joe bowed. “I take it we’re setting out to find Danny and Dustin?”

“Yes so gather what you need. I don’t care if we kill Alex DeLeon in the process because we need Dustin. I’ll meet you down the hill in ten.”

With that they scattered. Pete held his duffel bag closer and strode down the stairs into the Great Hall. He nodded briefly at Brendon who closed his eyes in acknowledgement of his presence. Ten minutes later, they set foot in the mortal world once again as humans.

“Your wound sure healed fast, sir”, Andy commented. Pete hummed in response. “You sure like to think I’ve forgotten about your mistake with Patrick. I haven’t forgiven you for that”, Pete whipped his head towards Joe. “And I haven’t dealt with your loose lips either. You told Patrick I’m a fallen!”

“No, I confirmed it”, Joe grinned but the smile quickly melted when Pete glared at him. “You’re right. I was out of line. I’m sorry.”

“Good.”

“Wait, Joe gets away with just a warning but I’m getting punished?” Andy complained as they walked towards the gate.

“Hush and focus on the mission”, Pete snarled.

Joe looked around. “Why do you think they’ll still be at the gate? Won’t they have moved since you escaped?”

“No, because, my dear knights, Alex wants _me_ and not Danny. He’s baiting me with Danny as a captive so either he’s here or they’re gone and Danny’s dead.”

“I guess so”, Andy muttered.

“Can you scout the area?” Pete asked the first knight who nodded before he disappeared. Andy clutched a demon knife in his hand and bit his lip. “You know… I didn’t mean to leave the door unlocked. I just forgot, sir.”

“I know but still… What if they did worse than smear his wings? You’re my knight. I am responsible for your actions towards the Emperor and if your irresponsibility got Patrick killed or incapable of functioning right, _I_ would’ve taken the blame.”

“But nothing of the sort happened, sir, so you can relax”, the second knight offered but Pete shook his head. “No. I can’t relax as long as I have to take care of Patrick. If I mess up, the Emperor will see fit to eliminate me for treason.”

“I suppose so.”

Joe returned to the pair. “They’re here. Danny’s caged but he’s in a very poor state. It looks like Alex had his way with him. I’m not even sure if he’s alive in there…”

“Is Alex there?” Pete asked.

Joe shook his head. “Just Dustin and Ben.”

“Excellent”, Pete grinned. “I know how to distract Ben but first we gotta figure out how to check if Danny’s alive. He needs to be able to run with us.”

“How?”

The Seeker frowned, lost in thoughts when Andy offered: “Superior hearing. If we whisper something out of range for the others, Danny will catch it.”

“We could ask for a sign of life”, Joe filled in.

Pete nodded. “Good. Where are they?”

“Just a block away. I guess Ben wanted to stay near his gate.”

The three of them snuck along the walls to the spot where Joe had been observing them. Ben and Dustin were the furthest away from them. Danny was caged, only a few feet away from them. “Alright”, Pete whispered. “Danny. Danny? Can you hear me? The others can’t. Show us you’re still alive.”

Joe watched the Guardian. “He’s moving! I think he heard you.”

The Seeker glanced around the corner at the moving Guardian. The man shivered in an effort to get to hand and knees. He was covered in blood. Demonic blood. They sure messed him up with a demon knife there.

“If you can hear me, make a sound.”

The Guardian let his wounded body fall to the floor again and groaned. Pete wasn’t sure if that was a reply to his request but it seemed like it. “You’re incapable of running, aren’t you? But you’re conscious. That’s all we need. Andy can carry you. I know it’s degrading but it’s your only way out.”

Danny groaned again. Andy nodded to the quiet request of carrying the Guardian to safety. “What’s the plan?”

“I can distract both Dustin and Ben. I can’t catch Dustin. I need you both to free Danny while I go around to keep them busy. When Danny’s free, take Dustin and I’ll hold back Ben. Flee to the gate without me. I’ll make sure Ben can’t catch up until you’re in Hell and once you’re down, Ben can no longer free Dustin without facing the Emperor for an explanation to his treason.”

“Alright. Good luck, sir and be careful.”

Pete nodded and carefully walked around the place until he stood behind Dustin and Ben. The two were talking quietly. “When do you think Alex will return?”

“I hope he doesn’t. He’s different since he left Hell.”

“I know but he’s still my master…”

“Unfortunately.”

Pete swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped forward into plain sight. Ben pulled his weapon and Dustin pointed his gun at Pete. “Pete!”

“You’re coming for the Guardian after all. Call Alex, Dustin.”

“Wait.”

Dustin lowered the gun slightly in confusion. Pete smirked. “I know your secret.”

“Everyone knows about us”, Ben growled. “Now call Alex.”

“No. The other secret.”

“What?”

“Why Dustin hasn’t fallen by dating you.”

Dustin lowered the gun to the ground. Behind them, Joe and Andy tried to find a way to open the cage. Pete cocked his head. “Dustin doesn’t know you’re not a demon?”

Ben clenched his jaw, eyes darting to his angelic boyfriend. “Shut up. I am a demon.”

“I thought Dustin knew! But he doesn’t? He doesn’t know you’re a Nephalem?!”

Dustin gasped and faced Ben. “You’re… You’re half angelic?!”

The gateway demon closed his eyes. “I’m a demon!”

This went better than expected. Pete thought Dustin knew about Ben being a Nephalem because that was most likely what made sure the serving Seraphim hadn't lost his wings. He was dating a partial angelic creature. The confusion was more than enough to distract them. The cage was empty behind them. Andy had disappeared with Danny and Joe signed to Pete he’d attack Dustin next.

“Pete is lying obviously!” Ben called out but Dustin shook his head. “Pete wouldn’t.”

“Really? You trust your fallen master over your boyfriend?” Ben growled. “Fine. You got me. I’m a Virtue Nephalem.”

Dustin cocked his head and Pete raised an eyebrow. “A Virtue? Really? That’s so fucking ironic…”

A virtue had a baby with a demon. Pete couldn’t help but grin. Virtues were supposed to encourage humanity to believe in God. They were supposed to perform miracles to strengthen their believes such as making someone survive a near-death experience and they’d tell everyone they’d SEEN it!

“Tell me about it”, Ben muttered. “My mother was a virtue. She fell after conceiving me and I was born in Hell so I’m a demon.”

“Demons don’t have wings”, Dustin argued. “Do you have wings?”

“I do. I have Virtue wings.”

“So you truly are a Nephalem”, the serving Seraphim muttered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Before they could explore the subject more, Joe managed to stab Dustin in the back with the demon knife and while both Ben and Dustin were surprised, Pete jumped Ben. The Nephalem hit the ground hard, the blow almost knocked him out. “Go!”

Joe nodded, restraining Dustin with the angel ties while he was still in a haze from the pain. He dragged the angel with him over the floor while Ben trashed to break free. “What are you doing?! Where are you taking him?!”

“Where do you think? Brendon wants Dustin. I’m sorry.”

Ben stared at the seeker in disgust. “Your pupil. Your dear student who has pledged allegiance to only you so much that he betrayed Alex and you’re offering him to the Emperor just like that?”

“Orders are orders, Ben. I don’t get to grow soft for someone who’s wanted”, Pete defended himself but the guilt still got to him. Dustin was the only angel he didn’t despise. He’d been such a good student, so loyal and Pete stabbed him in the back just like that. He briefly wondered if catching Dustin was his way of making it up to himself that he’d been so damn easy on Patrick.

To prove to himself that he hadn’t grown a heart. Prove to himself that he didn’t have an angelic side. Maybe. No, he had nothing to prove. He had to obey the Emperor’s will, even if it meant taking down someone he once knew so well.

“You know Brendon better than I do but…”, Ben sighed, the fight in his body gone and just a broken will in his eyes. “Dustin’s not gonna make it out of the castle anymore, is he?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> OKAY! I have an announcement to make and I hope this experiment works and gets enough attention from you, my readers. As you may or may not know, I'm writing a new story for Hollywood Undead called American Tragedy. This fic is a test subject/prison AU where people sentenced to death may be registered as test subjects as well. Now as you know, a prison/hospital AU like this, needs people. A lot of people. In To Own A Seraphim, I fixed this issue by filling up every position with people from other bands. I don't want to get repetitive so this time, I'm not doing so. Instead I'm letting YOU fill up the character gaps. Every single supporting character aside from Hollywood Undead will be OCs invented and designed by YOU (if you like, of course). If anyone's interested, here's a list of possible information you may want to include in your OC Introduction (in the comments or in a PM on fanfiction.net)
> 
> \- Full Name:  
> \- Age:  
> \- Gender:  
> \- Personality:  
> \- Occupation, chosen from the following options. Any details about their occupation may be left blank for me to fill in. They are entirely optional for your designing fun
> 
> Doctor: as a doctor at the hospital/prison, your OC will be stationed to monitor test subject’s mental health (psychology department), work in the lab to design experiments and tests (test tinker) or work at the infirmary to nurse test subjects back to health after a failed experiment or unexpected backlash (specialized in trauma, disfigurements and mutilation). You may specify which out of these 3 options would fit your doctor. Please add how your OC treats the subjects and how they are treated by colleagues.
> 
> Test Subject: as a test subject, your OC committed an unspeakable crime, sentenced to death – or worse, test subject. Since the subject undergoes experiments on a daily basis, they may be disfigured, mutilated or modified. You may add optional disfigured parts (extra finger, burnt arm etc.), mutilated parts (missing finger) or modifications (genetic modification made the subject grow fangs). You may also add which crime your Subject committed to be sentenced to Test Subject. Please add how your OC treats doctors, wardens and other subjects. Test Subjects go by nickname (like HU) so you may invent a nickname if you like as well. If not, I will do it for you.
> 
> Warden: As a warden, your OC keeps an eye on everyone and everything. They are to keep the doctors safe when a doctor enters the cell, walks the hallway, the courtyard etc. Wardens stand outside the cells to tend to the subjects’ needs such as sudden side effects of a previous experiment. Please add how your OC treats Subjects and doctors.
> 
> Special force: The special forces are the snipers surrounding the towers of the courtyard, the heavily armed people to break apart riots and separate fights between inmates/subjects.
> 
> Inmate: inmates are the preys of test subjects. The Subjects envy their potential freedom once they get out since the Subjects are sentenced for a lifetime so they give the inmates HELL.
> 
> \- Remarkable details, for example “scar on left cheek because subject attacked them”, “fears Subject 3 (Johnny 3 Tears)”:  
> \- Physical appearance (hair, eyes, skin):  
> \- Things I need to know about their past:
> 
> Thanks for anyone who's willing to help me shape this AU! So far I have received a few OCs since my last Love Drabbles post already. Thank you Mel, for doctor Keith Delmare. Thank you HU_shipper for warden Martin Theil. Thanks Megane for doctor Juan Black. I, myself, made up doctor Breccan Cain and Test Subjects Moira and Emma Morrison who go by subject names of Venomera and Nefaria.


	13. Even If The Sky Does Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I'm very sorry this chapter took me so long but this is part 1 of THE chapter I've been preparing myself to write for 2-3 months now and I couldn't have made it the way it is without the advice of the lovely LaurelSilver who I consider THE goddess of gore. This is chapter 13 and I've finished chapters up until 16 but I have yet to edit them. They're a little lifeless as they are now. Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> Warning: this chapter contained descriptive despictions of violence and plain gore. You may skip the violent descriptions if this is something you'd rather not read but unfortunately this chapter is important to the story's further events.

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_As the Guardians had requested, Pete set up a plan to save Danny while capturing Dustin Bates for his mission. To allow his knights to free Danny, he distracted both Dustin and Ben by claiming Ben was a Nephalem which is why Dustin has kept his wings even though dating a demon is a sin. Ben admitted his mother was a Virtue class angel. After Andy left with Danny, Joe caught Dustin and Pete held Ben back._

 

Andy carefully lay down the Guardian on the floor of the Great Hall. The dried reddish-brown blood stood apart from the black tiles. Brendon watched his every move, eyes closed to wash away the sight of Andy’s blood covered hands when he retracted them from Danny’s feeble form. Even for the great Emperor, it was too much to see one of his precious Guardians nearly beaten to death.

Behind him the five Guardians huddled together as if their united willpower could keep them from running down the steps of the stairs to their companion on the floor.

Even if Brendon didn’t like the sight himself, they weren’t designed to care for Danny and they still had to keep it quiet to avoid execution. The same fate Deuce had suffered.

The Emperor clenched his jaw, regaining his posture by averting his eyes from the blonde protector in front of him. “He sends me his knight and an unconscious Guardian. Did I not forbid him to pursue Danny?”

Andy bowed. “Retrieving Danny was merely a bonus, Your Eminence. Our true mission was to capture Dustin. Joe should be here any minute with him.”

Brendon leaned in interestedly. “He caught Dustin?”

Andy nodded.

“Boys, it looks like you can have some fun with the culprit who caused your friend pain, hm?” he looked back at the five. Their nervous state faded into murderous mischief.

Revenge? They loved the sound of that.

 

***

 

“Sir, what’s going on?” Patrick asked, the look of a frightened rabbit in those blue eyes. The seeker had entered their room with a murderous scowl on his face. It was a bad side of him he hadn’t seen before. He had thought Pete would protect him and treat him well if he behaved but these past few days, he’d been nothing but a good pet and yet Pete had been so absent.

He didn’t even know what to think of his master anymore. Whether or not he was safe with him.

The handsome fallen Archangel changed his mind every other day like he didn’t know what he wanted and someone unpredictable can be very scary to deal with.

“The Emperor wants you present in the Great Hall. I don’t like it either but he insisted you’d be there too.”

The seeker faced his angel to reach around the collar to flip the switch on the leash. “Stick close to me, little angel. Not because I don’t trust you to try anything funny but because I don’t know what the Emperor wants with your presence.”

The blonde smiled. Pete trusted him not to make a run for it? He didn’t know why that idea made him so damn happy.

“But please, angel, whatever happens. Don’t say a word unless you’re spoken to”, Pete muttered while straightening the shorter one’s collar. He was still wearing that same suit and it was starting to smell but Pete hadn’t addressed it yet. He didn’t want to take away Patrick’s comfort just yet. “I don’t want Brendon’s eyes on you until I’m no longer your master, alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

Pete nodded satisfied and guided Patrick to the door with a hand on his lower back. “You should reveal your wings.”

“But master, the words…”

“I’m sure they’re faded and if they’re vaguely visible, wear them with pride. It’ll show the Great Marquises not to mess with you anymore”, the demon hushed him. “If you stand next to me, your left wing won’t be visible and the words on the right are almost gone, aren’t they?”

“Yes, thank you”, Patrick breathed, revealing both wings. The black markings were reduced to tiny dots and lines but it was obvious in comparison to the bright white feathers.

A silent stream of demons making their way downstairs carried them to the Great Hall. It had to be about the capture of Dustin Bates but the Emperor’s plans weren’t clear yet. Long before Ben had managed to return to Hell, Joe had arrived with the angel but when Ben did reach his home, two Guardians immediately got their hands on him and he was forced to his knees.

Pete hadn’t looked Dustin in the eye but he didn’t have to. He briefly considered that the angel would look at him with a venomous hatred and betrayal in his eyes but deep down though, he knew Dustin would forgive him in a heartbeat and his gaze would hold nothing but pity. The seeker swallowed a lump in his throat and entered the Great Hall with the nervous Nephalem padding slightly behind. He looked around the crowd, spotting familiar faces from the feast. The familiar faces grinned menacingly and Patrick couldn’t help but clutch onto Pete’s arm for comfort. Something wasn’t right about the mood of the people there. It was almost like they were informed of what was about to happen.

By Brendon’s side, Dylan and Matt each held an arm of Ben and pushed him down by his shoulder with their free hand to keep him on his knees. Ben was a broad man, he needed great restraints to hold him into place, though it seemed highly uncomfortable to have his arm twisted to the back.

The crowd made way for Pete to stand in the inner circle. Front row tickets, he expected no less from the Emperor.

Dustin lay in the middle of a circle formed by the crowd, stripped bare of his clothing and dressed in rags. The slight wound on his back no longer bled, most of it already healed by his superior healing factor. He had yet to wake up from the assault. Johnny and Charlie sided him like true guards, though no one considered the angel capable of fleeing far in this castle. There was a light twitch in the angel’s right wing, an occasional quiver like a reaction to a pain impulse. Pete squinted his eyes to see the stab wound. Possibly a slight graze over the nerves.

Only four Guardians were present. Jay was most likely tending to Danny’s injuries. The young Guardian was in a horrible shape and had lost consciousness several times during his escape with Andy. The second knight mentioned he’d been mumbling incoherent things, possibly due to a fever from infected wounds. He’d make it, wouldn’t he?

Patrick tugged on Pete’s arm subconsciously while craning his neck to look around the faces. His eyes met Mikey’s and he wanted to look away but he remembered Pete’s advice and glared back daringly. The Great Marquis only offered him a skin-crawling smirk in return. The clamour was deafening until the Emperor arose from his seat, exactly when Dustin stirred.

He clapped his hands together, effectively silencing the hall. Dustin flinched startled by the noise. “Welcome! Elite of Hell! It’s only been a week since we received our dear little Patrick and Pete offers us yet another gift from Heaven.”

Patrick’s heart thumped in his chest, wings quivering but a look from Pete reassured him this wasn’t about him. He was safe from their attention. No one spared him a glance. Everyone kept their gaze glued to the serving Seraphim before them. That very same Seraphim had risen to stand and cast panicked glances around the hall to spot an easy exit.

“You see. Our dear gateway demon, Benjamin Burnley, has laid with one of Heaven’s children! A serving Seraphim no less.”

Disgusted and shocked sounds spread through the crowd. Insane how everyone mindlessly followed Brendon’s ideals. Who would ever have the nerve to take down such a beloved ruler?

Dustin tried to brace himself for launching himself into the air for flight, but Charlie clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed and kicked the angel to floor. An easy task. Angels were lightweights after all.

“I know!” Brendon cooed. “Ben should be punished for his crimes but why would we punish HIM, if we are in the presence of his dear, little _angel_.”

Patrick ducked his head in fear when the spectators hissed and booed. He had to remember he wasn’t the subject of interest today but he never liked loud noises in the first place. These creatures hated angels with all they had and up until his arrival in Hell, he had always thought he’d been a full blood angel.

“Angels fall when they lay with a demon and yet this angel still has wings. White and disgustingly pure. Why, Dustin?”

The Seraphim whipped his head around at the sound of his name, a bewildered look in his eyes. Joe handled him roughly so he might as well still be in a haze from the punches thrown to his head. He closed his eyes briefly to reorganize his thoughts but there was no time. The Emperor lowered his chin from speaking to the audience to addressing his new toy. “Get up. On your knees.”

The low rumble set off a shiver in the angel. He obeyed nonetheless, shoulders slumped in defeat. Ben turned his head away with a sigh but Dylan forced him to watch by pulling his hair back. They wanted him to see his beloved suffer. This was more cruel than any fate Dustin could’ve faced and more cruel than any trial Ben could’ve endured. He had to witness it.

Sit back and watch like a dog on the floor.

“I don’t think you deserve those wings after your actions towards Danny and your disgusting romance. You really hurt my Guardians by messing with their friend like that, didn’t he, boys?”

He nodded amused to Charlie and Johnny in the middle who looked down at Dustin. Their murderous scowl melted into a predatory smirk, revealing sharp teeth. Charlie was the one to speak. “You almost killed one of our own. We need him to protect the Emperor so in a way, you attacked his defence line. That’s a crime against Hell.”

Dustin shook his head so hard the room spun. “I-I didn’t! I was to guard the demon! Alex wounded him, enraged by Pete’s escape. I didn’t even touch him!”

He cursed the quiver in his voice. He wasn’t afraid, damn it! He was a child of God, an Archangel in training and yet he shook like a human.

“Your master? Why would you betray him?” Brendon asked, sly look in his eyes. “Is it true then that you still serve Pete after he fell from Grace?”

Dustin bowed his head, trembling but it just wouldn’t stop, no matter how hard he tried to hold back. “I was born to serve one master and I stay true to my purpose. Even if… if my master has betrayed my trust over and over.”

Pete gritted his teeth, not daring to look away from Dustin while the Emperor’s eyes were burning a hole into him. Patrick looked up to see his face. “You were that poor Seraphim’s master in Heaven?”

“I am. I mean… I was.”

“And you caught him for the Emperor?”

“I did.”

The Nephalem sighed deeply, the weight of a thousand in it. “Hell doesn’t preserve torture for dead souls, I see.”

“You don’t deserve the wings, angel”, Brendon called out, gaze shifted to the tallest Guardian. “Johnny, would you do this angel a favour? Rid him of the hideous appendage.”

The Guardian nodded with glee and planted a foot into the baffled angel’s back. Dustin lost his balance and tipped over flat on the floor. Johnny kept his foot firm on his back, shifting his heavy weight to lean on it. Dustin wheezed as his ribs were crushed under him. “W-what are you…?”

The Guardian took an arched wing into his hands which earned him a gasp of realization. “NO! No! You can’t do this to me. I’m an angel of the lord!”

Patrick held his breath, pushing himself harder against Pete’s arm. “No. They-…”

“Don’t say a word”, Pete hissed. “Don’t draw their attention. Brendon wants you to see so you’ll know the consequences of disobedience.”

His words were lost in the excited yelling and name calling of the audience, clearly pleased to see the public humiliation of one of God’s children.

“I don’t wanna watch”, the blonde begged. “Please, sir, do something. Make it stop. I can’t watch this!”

The angel tugged his arm but Pete yanked himself free. “Patrick, ENOUGH! You’re drawing attention!”

The demons surrounding them glanced sideways but most of their attention went to the scenery before them. Dustin trashed and raked his nails across the tiles in a desperate attempt to crawl away. He strained the muscle connecting his wing to his back to get them to move but Johnny yanked the wing sideways and crushed the bone with his knees, a sharp pain shooting through his back as it was rendered immobile. Charlie caught the other wing mid-air and did the same. The strong flaps of his wings reduced to tiny quivers underneath his knees. The angel rocked himself sideways but the Guardians didn’t even budge. Johnny pressed down hard, the feathers fanning out ruffled by the action. “Awe, poor little angel. I bet you wish you’d never whored yourself out to a demon now, huh? You wouldn’t even have been in our subjects of interest if it hadn’t been for your disgusting fling with the gateway demon.”

Dustin balled his hands to a fist. “I did NOT who-…”

He was stunned when Johnny punched him in the face. “This is for Danny, filthy creature.”

There was wicked grin on his face as he ripped out a handful of feathers and let them rain down on Dustin’s head. “Praise the holy angel”, he mocked him. He grabbed the middle bone of the wing and removed his knees, other hand placed on the base near his back. Dustin tried to stretch the bones to full length but Johnny held them bent in an awkward angle before he yanked his right arm towards him.

The snap of the joint echoed through the hall, followed by Dustin’s piercing scream. It wasn’t supposed to bend that way. Ben trashed in Dylan and Matt’s hold, feet sliding over the floor but never finding enough friction to dash out of their grip. “Let go!” he shouted, attracting the attention of the crowd.

Brendon sent his Guardians a disapproving glance. “Keep him quiet, would you? He’s disturbing the show.”

Dylan nodded and wretched Ben’s arm behind his back, knee pushed into his back to drive him into the ground. He used his free hand to cover his mouth. Matt planted his weight behind Dylan to make sure Ben wouldn’t break free. He was completely immobile, safe for useless kicking of his feet into nothing.

Johnny let the wing fall to the floor. Dustin kept the base arched but the wing lay on the floor like a dead plant sticking out of the pot. The Guardian trampled the bone with a few harsh stomps. Still attempting to crawl forward, Dustin’s nails were now short, bloody stumps peeling the skin away from his fingers with every scrape. His breath was ragged but the movement of his wing had stopped. Every move sent a spark of pain through his back. He held his eyes shut tight and prayed for it to be over soon.

The Guardian hummed. “You’re not worth my time. You don’t even fight back.”

Dustin growled back.

“Was that supposed to be threatening, little lamb?”, Johnny chuckled. “The angel thinks he’s threatening me with a growl”, the Guardian called out to which the audience laughed, Dustin’s cheeks burning red.

“Demons are beasts”, Patrick whispered under his breath.

Pete wanted to chuckle at the statement, mock the Nephalem for his ignorance but he didn’t, too mesmerized by the view. He’d seen plenty of wings torn off angels and he’d been the one to tear them off plenty of times as well but he’d never witnessed it for someone he cared about. Or used to care about.

“As I said, you’re a waste of time”, Johnny mused as he grabbed the base of the wing with both hands and pulled hard, foot holding Dustin’s body down. The angel put his hands against the floor to push his body upward against Johnny’s foot to keep his ribs from getting crushed but his weight was too much.

Cheers from the crowd rose louder and louder, encouraging Johnny to go through with it. The demons began to chant all together. _Rip. It. Off. Rip. It. Off._

Patrick turned his back to the scene and hid his face in Pete’s collarbone. “I can’t watch this. Master, I please. Make it stop!”

The seeker stared past Dustin, unable to watch himself but everyone was watching his every move so he couldn’t look away. He was aware of Patrick’s chant of pleas asking him to step in and save Dustin. Save the Seraphim who would die for him.

“Please, sir. Please please please. Do something.”

“Patrick..”

“No, do something. Pete, please.”

Pete put an arm around Patrick. “It’ll be over soon. Don’t look. I’ll let you know when the deed’s done.”

He hid Patrick’s face against him, hand covering his ear and the other ear pressed against his collarbone to drown out Dustin’s pained cries. The angel was screaming his voice raw when the wing began to give in to the force of Johnny’s pull. Pete rested his chin on Patrick’s hair, lips pursed as he couldn’t do anything to help the angel.

“You’re gonna dislocate it?” Charlie asked, bored.

Johnny looked up from his antics and down to the wing. “Oh yeah, you’re right. Dislocating would be showing mercy.”

He let go, letting Dustin catch his breath before he stomped down hard on his second shoulder blade keeping the wing attached to his back. He kicked it with his full power, praising Brendon for granting them enhanced strength. Dustin wheezed at the impact, not ready for the second one and choking out pleas to stop.

At the final kick, the shoulder blade shattered with a sickening crack and yet another scream strained his voice. The pain made him drowsy as wings were their most sensitive appendages for agility. He cursed his superior healing factor as it kept him from passing out.

Now that the shoulder blade was shattered, Johnny resumed his pulling on the wing, skin stretching under the strain. “Come on, little wing. Let loose.”

Dustin made a choking noise, a tight feeling in his chest.

Pete flinched when the skin finally tore. The blood gushed out of the wound like a thick waterfall onto the tiles of the castle while Johnny ripped out the wing and a chunk of the shoulder blade in one go. The thick liquid splattered onto his face, both hands coated in a layer. His grip on the wing was slippery, the white feathers smeared red.

Patrick grabbed a fist full of Pete’s shirt, eyebrows furrowed tightly together and eyes pressed shut. He shuddered, frightened, knowing very well what that nauseating sound had been.

The Guardian cast aside the wing like a useless piece and bowed to the Emperor who seemed pleased by the gesture. “I thank you, Johnny and I’m sure he’s grateful to be rid of his hideous appendages as well. Or not.”

Brendon laughed, his enslaved audience following suit as he cackled. “And that was only one wing! Oh little angel, your pain has only just begun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> This chapter's title refers to the song Die For You by Starset because Dustin is essentially dying for Ben.
> 
> I am not a fan of gore. Violence is not something I love or want to glorify. This chapter is entirely for story building purposes of what's to happen to the characters in the future.


	14. Even If They Take It All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! This is the final part of Dustin's gore scene. I'm sorry if gore makes you uncomfortable but it's a necessary evil for story development. I was kinda stuck on what had to happen after chapter 17 but then I sat down to make up a scheme of events so... I know exactly what needs to be done until chapter 30. Though I'm still only writing chapter 18. Still working hard on HU stories as well. Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: gore and violence ahead

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Ben was captured to witness the public humiliation of his beloved angel Dustin. Patrick barely dared to watch as Johnny brutally tore one of the wings off. One wing down, one still intact._

Dustin spasmed lightly, no longer a foot on his back but his vision was getting blurry from the sudden trauma. He could feel the blood dripping down his side to the floor. Through squinted eyes, he could see Ben. The Nephalem’s eyes were closed. They could make him face the scene but they could never force him to watch it. He was trembling and the angel, despite his horrific pain, wished he could do something to ease his sorrow.

Despite the fact he hid the truth from him. That he’d been a Virtue Nephalem all along. Dustin still loved the man with all his heart and he’d suffer for him. He’d die to protect him but there was no telling if Brendon would allow Ben to live after Dustin had bled out. The angel sighed. He had to endure.

For Ben.

“This has been delightful. I’ve never heard an angel scream before”, Brendon mused. “But the fun has only just begun. Charlie?”

“Yes, sir?”

“We like symmetry, don’t we?”

Charlie glanced down at the angel’s naked back. One wing fully intact and still held in place by his knees crushing the middle bone. The other half were rough spikes of bone underneath skin ending in a dripping red slice of bare muscle that surrounded the gaping hole where once his wing had been.

“My pleasure, sir!” Charlie called out, dropping down to straddle Dustin’s back. His pants coloured red as he pulled out a knife, raking his sharp claws over the metal. “Dustin, baby, are you still with us?”

The angel moaned in response, not wasting any of his energy on speaking. He could feel the superior healing factor kick in as the shattered pieces of his shoulder blade grew together in a mass of spikey lumps. No one ever said the healing factor _knew_ which parts to attach and which parts not to.

“Good, good. Because I need you to experience this consciously. Johnny showed mercy on you by ripping it out nice and clean but I won’t be so nice, honey.”

Pete pulled Patrick closer against him. “Don’t look and don’t…”

He winced at the loudness of Dustin’s voice when Charlie stabbed the knife between the two middle bones. It slit through the thin, sensitive skin, breaking off the covert feathers and pulled the knife out again.

“LISTEN!” Pete continued. “Don’t listen!”

The angel nodded, subconsciously whimpering at Dustin’s cries. Pete looked up to find Brendon’s eyes on him. The fucker was smiling and the seeker barely managed to smile back as he turned his eyes back to Dustin.

Charlie plucked off feathers like he was handling a chicken, revealing bit by bit the pale skin underneath. The skin of the wing was very very thin, stretchy and sensitive to optimize awareness of where the wings were and how close they were to surrounding objects and furniture. The right wing quivered under Charlie’s touch, testing whether it could move or not but Charlie squeezed his thighs together to keep the bone upright and therefore disabled Dustin’s control over it.

Partially.

He could still move the joint but when he did, Charlie clicked his tongue in annoyance. “If you can’t behave, baby, hold this.”

He viciously wriggled the knife in between the joint, earning a shriek. “Now now, dear, don’t cry! If you hadn’t moved, I wouldn’t have had to stab you with the knife. Really, it’s your own fault you’re in pain.”

Dustin whimpered in reply while Charlie whipped out a spare knife to carefully cut a layer of skin loose before he put it down. “They say pulling off too much skin hurts like hell…”

He took the piece of skin in his fingers and pulled on it, peeling it off bit by bit while Dustin spasmed at the sting. “Is it true? Small wounds can hurt like a bitch sometimes.”

The angel didn’t reply and it frustrated Charlie so he pushed the first knife deeper into the joint. “Hey! Answer me, you useless piece of shit!”

Dustin closed his eyes. “Yes, it h-hurts.”

He tried to keep the quiver out of his voice but didn’t really succeed. Charlie leaned in, face awfully close to the other’s. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it? Is that why Ben likes you? Because you can be an obedient little bitch like this?”

“I-I’m not-…” Dustin began but Johnny scoffed. “Still holding on to the idea he means something to Ben. Ha! Get it through your head, angel. Demons don’t love.”

The angel looked at the demon whose eyes were now open. He was glaring at Johnny, mouth still covered by Dylan’s hand but his trashing had ceased. “You’re wrong. Ben loves me and I love him.”

“Ben loves fucking you. There’s a difference”, Johnny chuckled. “You’re a booty call.”

“AM not!” Dustin shouted, blinking away the haze from the pain. Charlie picked up the second knife again and carved even lines into the skin of his wings. “Liar! The more you lie, the more we will hurt you.”

Who was he kidding? He would continue to hurt the angel regardless of his words. He raked his knife across the skin, like a tree of blood sprouting from the base of his wing. He had to yank the top down to carve further upwards. Dustin let out a low rumbling from the depth of his chest, hands clawing at the floor again, legs kicking wildly. Charlie almost lost his balance but Johnny was quick to come to his assistance and stomped his foot down onto one leg in a warning. The low rumble in his chest remained, eyes darker than they were before.

Pete let out an inaudible sigh. “He’s not going to… Is he?”

“What?” Patrick asked, inevitably still listening.

Dustin burst out in a wail, a high-pitched and glass shattering noise. The demons covered their ears, gritting their teeth in pain. Even Patrick pressed his ears closer against Pete’s protection. The Seeker was the only one to remain as he was before. “He’s summoning.”

“Summoning what?” Patrick shouted over the noise of the screaming angel.

Charlie and Johnny were taken aback, unable to continue their antics with the angel’s unbearable noise.

“A frightened serving Seraphim in distress may call upon his master for help. He’s summoning his master. The Archangel is obliged to respond. Since we’re in Hell, Alex can’t hear Dustin’s summoning but…”

“You used to be his master”, Patrick filled in.

“To you all, it sounds like a bunch of shrieks, doesn’t it? That’s not what I hear. I hear a chant. _Master, hear my voice, I call upon you because I’m in dire need of a saviour”,_ there was a melodic sound to Pete’s voice as he quoted what he was hearing. “I’m no longer obliged to return his summoning and save him but I can still hear it while other demons or angels cannot.”

The sound cut out and Dustin passed out. The Great Hall was quiet, devoid of cheering. Brendon looked about as stunned as all other demons who had just witnessed the true cry of an Archangel-to-be. Ben was tense, eyes shut tightly but he’d been unable to cover his ears. Pete relaxed gratefully that it had ended. Resisting the call he once had to obey was difficult. Guess you never truly lose your true instincts after all.

Charlie quickly regained composure as he chuckled. “My, what lungs you have, babe! Unfortunately it won’t get you anywhere.”

The Guardian resumed his carving of the blood tree until the skin was no longer pale and rosy. Dustin barely made a sound, eyes closed with fluttering eyelids so Johnny moved away from his position to kick his arm every now and then. Just to keep him conscious.

By the time Charlie leaned back pleased, the wing was mutilated beyond recognition. The remaining feathers were painted red in a matted bunch. He looked up at the Emperor. “Now I am not as powerful as Johnny. I can not shatter a shoulder blade with a few mere kicks at full strength, but I am smart – no offense, Johnny. I suspect what I have planned will be very painful as well.”

He was met with oh’s and ah’s from the audience. Charlie leaned back to reveal the base of the wing where the first knife still resided. He pulled it out and slashed through the skin surrounding the bone, then he wriggled the knife between skin and bone to separate it. Like he were interested in the skeleton only.

“Quit it”, Dylan hissed at Ben who had tried to bite his fingers. Ben still refused to watch.

He snapped his fingers at Johnny to come hold the wing into place and the older did so. Charlie got up in a standing position to take over the slippery appendage from his friend and tugged on it, harder and harder to the constant cheering of the audience.

Patrick was still not watching the scenery but he could hear what was happening. “Not the other one too…”

“Hush”, Pete whispered into his hair. “Soon it will be over and done. Don’t you worry, Nephalem.”

A sudden pop echoed through as the wing popped out of its socket to come out of his back. Charlie cast it aside as he circled the angel on the floor. He kicked Dustin’s head with a short laugh. “Hope the fuck was worth your wings, angel.”

He smiled at the Emperor and kneeled in the puddle of blood. “Your Eminence, the angel is now wingless”

During the entire ordeal Dustin had only faintly wheezed a few times. The summoning cry had drained his powers, healing factor barely keeping up to heal the gushing wounds on his back. He would bleed to death like this.

“Thank you”, Brendon nodded. “I thank you all for bearing witness to this disgusting creature’s punishment. You’re dismissed”, he addressed the crowd.

The Great Hall slowly emptied, demons discussing the events excitedly. Pete could hear some of their delight but some demons were disgusted by the display as well. While they loved seeing an angel murdered, they didn’t enjoy the gore side of it as much.

“Matt, Dylan. Release Ben.”

The pair got off the demon who scurried upright to dive for Dustin the middle of the Hall. He cradled the angel in his arms, careful not to touch any skin near the wound, ugly spikes of shattered bone protruding. He looked around frantically for a cloth large enough to put pressure to the wound but putting pressure on a wound so large wouldn’t help his case.

Dustin was dying.

Now that the deed was done, Pete stroked Patrick’s hair. “Let us return to my room, angel.”

The Nephalem opened his eyes and turned around to see Dustin on the floor next to his mutilated, detached wings. “Are you just gonna leave him here?”

“I cannot help him”, Pete sighed. “I just can’t. Not without raising suspicion.”

“You saved Danny. I’m sure the Guardians will let it slip. Please, sir, help him”, Patrick begged. “I promise I’ll be good if you help him. He was your servant. He’s dying because of you and yet he remains loyal to you only.”

The seeker hummed. “Fine. You go. I’ll stay for the leash but I can’t actively help him out as long as the Emperor watches me.”

Patrick gratefully bowed and neared the angel to bow down besides him. He took off his grey jacket and handed it to Ben. “Press it to the wound.”

“Thank you”, Ben sadly smiled at the Nephalem before doing as he was told. He hushed Dustin when he moaned in pain. “Come on, babe, don’t be a pussy now. I’m gonna patch you up, okay?”

The angel smiled before he set his eyes on Pete, a sad look on his face. The seeker barely dared to step closer while Ben stared at him with that murderous scowl. “You’ve brought this fate upon him, Pete Wentz. Have you come to gloat?”

Dustin lightly touched his arm. “Ben…”

“I haven’t”, Pete mused. “I never imagined the Emperor was capable of a display like this. I wish there had been another way out for Dustin but I’m just following orders.”

Ben’s stare was harsh before he looked away. “I know that what you say is true, but I can’t forgive you.”

“I don’t expect you to”, Pete replied. He crouched down. “You have to burn the wounds closed or sew them, staple them if you must. They’re far too large to heal on their own accord, even with pressure. He’s still bleeding out.”

“You’re right”, Ben muttered. “I’m grateful for the healing factor. It has kept him alive so far.”

“The healing factor will hold him back once the wounds are closed. It has healed the wrong parts of his shattered shoulder blade so unfortunately, you’ll have to redo that part if you want him to live without constant pain.”

Patrick smiled up at Pete, grateful for his help and the seeker couldn’t help but smile back at his little angel.

 

***

 

Brendon watched the scenery before him, saw how they turned Dustin over to burn the wounds shut. Pete had risen to stand again, arms folded. The Emperor was unable to hear what they were discussing but he didn’t trust the seeker’s current behaviour.

He glanced sideways at Johnny who wiped the blood off his face but only made it worse with the remains on his hands. “What are they saying?”

The Guardian looked back at his friends who nodded discretely. “Pete’s pestering Ben about the loss of Dustin’s precious angelic wings. Patrick insisted on staying so Pete’s entertaining himself while he’s there. It is best for him to gain the Nephalem’s favour. If Patrick learns to trust Pete, he might just be willing to do as we say.”

Brendon hummed in response. “Thank you. I suppose Pete is truly loyal to me. He has betrayed a friend for me after all.”

The Guardian clenched his jaw. He had never lied to his master before but he owed Pete this much.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> I promise Dustin won't die on us. Though I can't promise the events won't have traumatized him, Ben and Pete.
> 
> What do you think of the Guardians lying to the Emperor though? Seems suspicious to me.


	15. Even If I Have To Die For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I haven't opened my computer in a week so I can't say I've written much, but I'm still planning a lot of chapters. As long as I still know what needs to happen, the story's fine! One thing I did finally write, is the ending for Push And Pull so that'll come up real soon once I fix it because I'm really not proud of it so far. Anyway, enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Charlie ripped out Dustin’s mutilated wing. Pete, Ben and Patrick burned Dustin’s wounds closed as Johnny lied to the Emperor to protect Pete._

 

“You’ve been quiet”, Patrick whispered from the bed in a cross-legged position. “You were just following orders, master.”

Pete briefly hummed in a reply but he wasn’t paying attention to his little angel. He did what he always did after a mission succeeded. He checked out the next assignment in his feed and this time would be no exception. Despite the fact Dustin had been in the medical bay for a few hours now.

The Guardians had managed to convince Brendon to spare the angel’s life because a life without wings would be far more torturous than letting him die on the floor like that. Pete considered it a favour from them for saving Danny’s life. Now their debts had been repaid and they’d return to their old ways.

“Thank you for not making me watch”, Patrick offered and Pete looked up. “Of course you shouldn’t watch. Brendon wanted you to see as a warning but he didn’t expect you to be fearless and watch with intent. I didn’t wanna traumatize you. The first time is quite shocking.”

“Yeah… You’re right”, Patrick muttered. “Especially when they torture him like that.”

Pete hummed, still focused on the next task ahead.

“So what’s next?”

The seeker glanced at the angel. “What?”

“What’s next?”

“My next mission?”

“Yeah, I guess. Will you be here more often?” Patrick wondered. “You were so busy planning Dustin’s capture I barely got to see you this week.”

Pete snorted. “I wasn’t busy planning anything. Sure, I considered the flaws in my plan for a few days but it didn’t take up that much time out of my day.

“But Joe was with me so long. I thought you were busy”, the angel stated, a slightly disappointed tone and the seeker couldn’t help but chuckle at his ignorance. “Yeah, I was _getting_ busy. Not focused on the mission, my innocent little angel.”

Patrick glared at him. “So while you were planning on betraying your most loyal servant _again_ , you were fucking someone without a care in the world?”

“Watch your tone”, Pete snapped, attention focused on the angel now but the blonde didn’t cave. “How could you? You’re supposed to be on edge about something this important! Not getting under someone new!”

Pete closed the distance between them in an instance, fists clenched. “You sure seem to forget your promises, angel. You said you’d be good if we helped him. We helped him. Now fucking behave like a good little pet.”

Patrick huffed in return. “Bite me.”

The demon raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “Forget this. I’m heading out for the night so behave until I’m back, alright? And go to bed at a decent time. You look like crap.”

He turned his back to the angel to leave, earning a sarcastic: “Your wish is my command, _master_.”

But although Patrick was disgusted by Pete’s careless act, it still stung to hear it from him. _You look like crap._

_I know. I always do._

 

***

 

Johnny kicked his legs onto the bed, leaning back in his chair. He let his head fall back and stared at the upside-down doorway. Waiting was a chore, especially with the imminent threat to Brendon’s life. The peace still hadn’t returned and yet two of his most murderous Guardians were grounded to the medical bay.

The marshals were too busy to play nurse anymore so the Guardians took turns to watch over Danny. The poor man had been unconscious since his arrival at the castle, still in a deep slumber. They assumed he needed the rest to heal but still, it was bothersome to see him in this state.

Anyway, this way Johnny could keep an eye on Dustin as well. Two birds, one stone, right?

The wingless angel was asleep. Ben didn’t want to leave his side for a long time but the Emperor had him thrown out of the castle. His boyfriend took the punishment for their relationship, Ben had yet to be dealt with according to their supreme ruler.

Johnny knew for sure he was the only one to wrap Dustin’s wounds in a clean cloth every hour. The other Guardians considered their depths paid and didn’t care if the angel were to die on their watch but Johnny preferred if he lived to make sure Pete wouldn’t rebel against them for murdering his ex-pet sent from Heaven.

Dustin lay on his front to take away the pain from his back. He slowly stirred, blinking carefully before his grey eyes fell on Johnny, then slid to Danny. He calmly pushed himself upright into a sitting position. He groaned and winced at the pain, bone rippling under his skin, but once he was in a sitting position, the pain lessened bit by bit. He was strangely more at ease than the Guardian had thought he would be.

After all, he just tore off his most precious limbs in the most brutal way.

The Seraphim sighed lightly. “I owe my life to you and yet I also owe my pain to you. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

“I was in Pete’s debt”, Johnny replied. “He saved Danny. I save you.”

“But first you tear off my pride. My God given wings”, Dustin sadly commented, no venom in his statement to back it up. “Why?”

Johnny shrugged. “I’m a Guardian. I have no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.”

“No, you don’t understand what a Guardian is, do you?”

The angel cocked his head. “I suppose I am unfamiliar with the details about the existence of your kind but if I’m not mistaken, you are hand-picked warriors trained to be ruthless assassins from birth.”

Johnny shook his head with a smirk. “Not true. We’re not hand-picked from birth. We’re _designed._ Put in a tube to grow with the programming of a true assassin in our system. Our senses sharpened, our empathy lowered and most importantly – the Emperor imprinted in our mind. His wish is literally our command. There’s no option to disobey. His orders override our free will.”

Dustin hummed. “So you truly are enslaved, even if you chose to walk away.”

“We _can’t_ walk away”, the Guardian bit. “But I can persuade his wishes. I talked him into saving you.”

“But I am a Seraphim. Doesn’t saving me mean you’re putting the Emperor in danger? I’m still in his castle. Freeing me is no option. If I return to Heaven, He’ll return my wings.”

“But the pain will remain in your memory”, Johnny offered. He shook his head. “I don’t know what’ll happen to you once you’re out of the medical bay. I just know I did Pete a favour cause I owed him one.”

“Why do you assume Pete wanted me to be alive? He brought me to Hell in the first place. Didn’t you hear? I’m loyal to a fallen master”, Dustin snorted cynically. He subconsciously rubbed over a wound where the knife had poked through in the front. It was a miracle he had survived any of this.

“Believe me when I tell you, Seraphim, Pete hasn’t forsaken you. During your punishment he shielded the Nephalem from the scenery. He protected him because he was scared. Patrick begged him to help you and he said there was nothing he could do that wouldn’t raise suspicion.”

“You do have superior sense if you can hear all that while shattering my secondary scapula.”

“Secondary scapula?” Johnny grinned. “What? Do they teach you wing anatomy?”

“I am a serving Seraphim. A student. I’m taught every bit of knowledge. Pete has thought me the anatomy of wings, should we ever be wounded in battle.”

“And now Pete uses his knowledge to tear off wings, nice”, Johnny mused to himself.

“Yet I still see him as my master”, Dustin sighed. “I don’t like this foolish loyalty but I can’t help it. I was born to serve him. Pete was the first and only Archangel to ever fall from Grace and _live_.”

“Yeah… I guess I know that feeling. Born and raised to serve only Brendon and care about no one but him.”

“You seem to care about your Guardian friend though”, Dustin nodded his head to Danny and Johnny cracked a smile. “Well, you tell me. I’m a rare species of demon raised for a single purpose and I spent 24/7 with other individuals of said rare species to fulfil the same purpose. Now doesn’t that strengthen our bond?”

“I suppose it does.”

“Besides, we can’t fully protect our supreme ruler without him. Our strategy was designed for a six piece.”

Dustin raised an eyebrow. “Suuure. That’s the reason.”

Johnny chuckled in response. “It’s my official explanation for anyone to hear.”

Danny groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He stared at Dustin and let his eyes slide to the bloodied bandage around his torso. “That’s awful.”

“The Emperor had me tear off his wings”

“No. The Emperor let him live”, Danny growled. “That hideous creature alongside his brutal master! They tortured me! I thought Brendon would have him executed immediately!”

Johnny hushed his fellow Guardian but Danny didn’t lower his voice. “You deserve to perish in the pits of Hell, not be nursed back to good health in our medical bay!”

“Danny!”

“What? It’s true! He-…”

“If Dustin hadn’t been caught, you would’ve fucking died there so be grateful for a second, will you?”

Danny’s rant died in his throat. “What?”

“Brendon ordered us not to come look for you. Told us to let you die or escape on your own. That you weren’t worthy if you didn’t survive.”

The blonde remained silent.

“I asked Pete to retrieve you and he did so on his mission to catch Dustin.”

“So…”, Danny whispered. “The Emperor abandoned me?”

Johnny didn’t respond.

“My master left me to die? I owe my life to Pete Wentz?”

“Yes.”

Danny seemed confused. The thoughts didn’t register in his mind and his eyes shot back and forth between Dustin and Johnny. The blonde was betrayed and thrown in the trash by the man he’d been created for. His sole life purpose received nothing to prove that his protection was appreciated. Nothing. He had nothing to show for it.

Johnny put a hand on Danny’s. “You know he’s been afraid of an incoming attack. He needed us by his side. Even if meant leaving you behind.”

“Yes!” Danny called out, more desperately than he most likely intended. He chuckled, short and cold. There was an edge of insanity to it. “He would’ve sent for me if he hadn’t been in danger!”

“Of course he would’ve!” Johnny sighed relieved, squeezing the blonde’s hand. Danny smiled in return. “He would never abandon me without a reason. I’m his favourite toy!”

Dustin watched the two with a sad look on his face. He smiled to himself. “I guess I’m not the only loyal fool, am I?”

Danny whipped his head to Dustin. “A loyal fool? I’m no loyal fool. I am loyal to my master. I was created to serve a single purpose. I was created to follow the Emperor and protect him with my life. Without that purpose, I have no reason to exist so even if the Emperor decides to cast me away, I will receive it with a smile on my face because I am his to command and his only. He could order me to cut off my limbs and I would!”

The Seraphim glanced at Johnny who seemed equally as shocked. “I… I didn’t mean it like that. I just…”

“But what does it matter? My master hasn’t abandoned me! I’m safe in the medical bay, aren’t I?” the Guardian cut him off, tears welling up but he wiped them away angrily. “What is this? I’ve never…”

“Danny, you’re… Are those tears?” Johnny whispered.

The blonde looked at his hands frantically. “No! I must be malfunctioning. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“It’s called emotions”, Dustin stated. “And what you’re feeling, is the pain of being disposable to your precious _master_.”

 

***

 

Despite the anger Patrick had felt towards Pete, he had listened to his orders and he’d gone to bed rather early for his doing. He wondered if Pete would wash his vest for him after it was soaked in angel blood. For now, he’d remain in the same clothes. He still hadn’t had the nerve to get changed. Maybe he would while his own clothes were in the laundry. Maybe.

He was sound asleep when Pete returned. He closed the door a lot harsher than he intended, which stirred the Nephalem. Patrick blinked a few times, still very tired and drowsy. “Master?”

Pete’s silhouette was hard to distinguish in the darkness but he was standing at the end of the bed when he placed a knee on the blanket to crawl in bed, hoovering over the angel. Patrick’s breath hitched. “What are you-…”

Pete hushed the angel with a finger on his lips. “Don’t talk, little angel.”

That was definitely Pete voice. Patrick swallowed a lump in his throat and Pete’s hand caressed down his cheek, his face so close to his own. The blonde could feel his breath on his lips, a strong smell of something he couldn’t quite place but it didn’t seem to matter.

Pete was there and he was being so careful, like Patrick was made of china. The seeker grazed his lips with his own before he pressed down in a languid motion, reeling Patrick in. The angel never had time for these things in Heaven. He’d never met another Seraphim. He’d only heard stories from Oliver and Gabe but now he was here, kissing Pete. Pete was kissing him, touching him. He broke their kiss to crawl under the blankets with him but returned just as quickly in a hot and heavy make out. Patrick knew it was wrong, but it felt so good to give in to those careful caresses and kisses. No, not good. It was arousing and warm.

As quickly as it came, it went. Pete broke away and rolled over to sleep, back turned to Patrick. The Nephalem was taken aback and couldn’t help but press closer against Pete’s back.

Even if Heaven would forbid any of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> This chapter's title is again from Die For You by Starset as the final chapter of the 3 part Dustin torture chapters.
> 
> What do you make of Danny's sudden tears?  
> And the fact Pete and Patrick kissed for the first time?


	16. Whatever It Takes To Make It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I haven't touched my computer in ages cause I left it in school for a project, ha. That's why I didn't update last week but an HU update is coming soon, trust me. Enjoy!

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_Danny feels abandoned by his master. Pete and Patrick share a few nightly kisses._

 

“Wait here”, Brendon commanded the Guardians when he neared the lab’s entrance. Johnny and Charlie bowed in obedience. Matt, Dylan and Jay were on patrol, listening for suspicious activities or conversations in the corridors upstairs. The eyes and the ears of the castle. Anything of interest was to be reported, especially from new residents such as the Court’s Seeker. The Guardians didn’t trust the fact that demon used to be an Archangel so until he proved his loyalty to Brendon, they’d keep an eye on him. The demon only moved in last night, accepting the Emperor’s offer to work for the castle.

The Emperor entered a code to the lab, shielding it from his nosy protectors. This was a place they weren’t allowed to be. Simply because Brendon didn’t think they could handle the truth. Little did he know, they already knew what happened inside the lab.

The doors slid open and Brendon stepped forward into Gadjet’s domain. The place was a mess. Test tubes, conical flasks and regular ones alike set onto large metallic structures. One was bubbling as it was heated by a Bunsen burner, another one cooling off in an ice bath. Sheets everywhere as Gadjet raced from one structure to another to note any differences in state, muttering to himself like a madman. “Pink indicator remained pink which indicates the remains are an acid. Matter of not making the waste containers explode by throwing it into the wrong category.”

He leaned towards the glass of the fume hood, nose nearly pressed against the window to look at the second structure. “Hm, temperature stagnated, gotta amp up the heating mantle. AH! I forgot to add the boiling chips. God fucking messy-…”

“Gadjet, how’s the subject today?”

The demon looked up startled. He hadn’t even noticed his supreme ruler entering. “Subject’s doing well, sir. In fact, he’s awake and just around the corner, would you like to see him?”

“Of course, I would. Don’t take me for a fool, scientist.”

“Apologies, sir”, Gadjet rolled his eyes, clearly not apologetic but Brendon couldn’t harm him in any way. Gadjet was the only demon to ever interest himself in these kind of experiments. He was the only one who knew how to do this. He was irreplaceable. The demon beckoned Brendon to come closer and stepped into the hallway to the back of the lab sided by cages. All cages were guarded by a screen of coloured light. A forcefield. On the far end, in a small cage, resided a true demon.

Its eyes were pitch black, blonde hair stained by blood as well as both clawed hands. He remained on all fours, like a caged dog but encircled his prison like a predator trying to find a way out. Sharp fangs revealed in a snarl. Brendon stared at the man before him in awe.

“This one’s bright, sir. I’ve had to enhance security on him five times now. He always finds a way to escape. Almost attacked me once!” Gadjet chuckled as if he were talking about a memory he was fond of, rather than a life or death situation.

“Doesn’t that make him rebellious?” Brendon asked but Gadjet shook his head. “The subject is surviving solemnly on his feral instincts. When he meets you, he’ll lock onto you and gain… _humanity?_ He’ll be more civilized and he’ll learn even more from you and the Guardians but as long as he hasn’t met you, he remains a beast.”

“A beast”, Brendon muttered. “So you’ve been training him?”

“Testing him. I’ve taught him his superior senses and his purpose when a threat presents itself. Would you like to see?” Gadjet asked, sparkle in his eyes.

Brendon nodded.

Gadjet entered one of the other cages, a simple hell hound but a ferocious one pulled out of his confines by his collar. Gadjet pushed the animal through the one-way transportation of the forcefield. As soon as the animal spotted the subject, it growled and the subject caught onto it.

It sniffed, blinked once to assess the situation before it dove for the Hell hound and ripped it to shreds like it were nothing at all. Brendon hummed impressed. “What about his loyalty? Deuce cared more about his fellow Guardian than me. I don’t want to see history repeat itself.”

Gadjet smiled, too busy scribbling the findings down onto his paper to look up. “I knew you’d ask. I changed the specifics of this certain Guardian. Hightened senses, lowered empathy. This one will never value anything above you in his life.”

The Emperor hummed and stepped closer to the cage to inspect him. The new Guardian was growling. Brendon had his doubts.

“I’ve been developing his skills, Your Eminence. Doing so has reduced him into a monstrosity but I assure you he’ll lock into Guardian mode once he meets you.”

“He can’t see me?” Brendon asked.

“Forcefield blocks out his environment. He can’t see beyond the cage. He knows I’m here because he escaped a few times, which is why he’s growling at us but the forcefield to him, looks like a wall.”

“Smart one to realize we’re behind that wall, but I want him to lock onto me. Can he do it right now?”

Gadjet seemed hesitant. “I suppose so. He excelled in everything I’ve tested him for so far so I guess he could use some real life training from you and the Guardians on how to behave… Though his sense of reality is not yet developed.”

“I don’t care. Do it”, the Emperor commanded.

Gadjet punched a few buttons and let the field slide away. Now that the barrier was gone, the Emperor shifted uneasily. “He won’t attack me, will he?”

“Just watch, sir.”

The new Guardian looked at the two men in between eyelashes, assessing the danger but as soon as Brendon spoke, his head perked up. He got on his feet and stepped out the door, closer to the sound of Brendon’s voice as he asked Gadjet what it was doing. He had heard that voice before, in his dreams. It lulled him to sleep and it urged him to wake up. It was his purpose to follow that voice and offer it his services. Brendon’s voice. He hadn’t met Brendon yet in his life but from his dreams, he knew that he loved him.

He spotted Brendon who looked down at him. The Guardian’s eyes lit up momentarily, a shimmer.

“You’re imprinted in his mind”, Gadjet clarified. “Congratulations, sir, your sixth Guardian awaits your commands.”

“What’s his name?” Brendon asked, pleased as the sixth Guardian was mesmerized by his every move. Before Gadjet could reply, the Guardian smiled, revealing pointy – yet somewhat human – canine teeth. “Danny.”

 

***

 

“This is Danny, the Guardian to replace Deuce”, Brendon gestured to the blonde who eyed the others suspiciously. He was analysing them to see if they would be a threat to the Emperor. He decided he could easily swoop in and keep those five demons away from him so he cocked his head curiously. “Guardian?”

“You are one of us. A Guardian. We dedicate our existence to protecting Brendon”, Johnny explained, earning a predatory smirk from Danny. “I like you. You share my cause.”

“We all do”, Dylan said. “We’ve been created like you to serve the same purpose. Kill every threat.”

Danny knew this was where he belonged, amongst the demons who would help him protect the master he so dearly loved. He knew he needed these other Guardians to execute his task better so he chose to trust them. They weren’t a threat to him anyway. Johnny was tall and broad butt he lacked the speed and agility to avoid Danny’s attacks. Charlie was smaller and relied heavily on his intelligence to seek weak spots but his tactics were very similar and easy to avoid once you figured out his pattern. Jay was a great fighter but he was thoroughly confused due to the emotions. He thinks he knows how to control the grief he felt but he’s never been the same since the loss of his fellow Guardian. One word about Deuce and he’d be too stunned or he’d flinch, opportunity enough for Danny to strike him down.

Dylan was too easily distracted in battle. He could take him on as well. Now Matt was a different story. His tactics focused primarily on self-defence and blocking attacks to leave an open space in the opponent’s stance. In other words; wear him out without leaving an opening and he’ll be done for in no time. All things he had learned when they trained together for the first time.

Yes, Danny chose to trust these people because he knew he could beat them if they ever chose to go rogue.

It didn’t take long for Danny to become a part of their strategy, should a threat charge at the Emperor. Danny was a part of the reinforcement, working behind Charlie and Johnny’s frontline. Mostly because Johnny was the most feared and because Charlie’s hidden power was revealed to him.

All Guardians received a hidden power when Gadjet had designed them but the scientist had never told them what it was so they had to figure it out for themselves. Charlie was the only one to ever figure out the hidden talent so far. What it was? Classified information so only emergencies will show the talent he’s been training.

It was best to keep their power a secret. If word got out what they could do, enemies could plan around it. They needed the little surprises to catch aggressors off-guard.

Only weeks after Danny’s creation, he was a part of their core and most importantly, he was their friend.

“The Emperor likes you a lot”, Matt noticed and the blonde shrugged. “He may enjoy me but he shouldn’t get attached. I will die for him when a threat arrives and he shouldn’t mourn my loss. Our loss.”

“Whoa, that’s dark, dude! Just enjoy his attention, would you?” Jay commented with a pat to his back. Danny hummed, ignoring the physical contact. He’d grown used to the way the Guardians behaved but somehow he still hadn’t adapted to be a part of them. Gadjet blamed it on the fact Danny imprinted the Emperor sooner than he would’ve liked. His sense of reality was underdeveloped.

“He likes me because I will protect him from harm”, Danny huffed.

Dylan shook his head. “He likes you because you want his approval. You’re stroking his ego with your need to please him.”

“The Emperor says my loyalty is greater than yours. To prevent me from going rogue like Deuce.”

Jay pursed his lips into a thin line as Johnny scoffed. “Deuce didn’t go rogue. He fell in love.”

“With the Emperor?” Danny asked.

“No. With me”, Jay muttered. “It happened but he’s dead so it’s over. Executed.”

“Oh”, was all Danny could say. He wanted to ask more but Jay’s expression left no room for questions. It made him wonder if Deuce’s love was reciprocated. Only Jay would’ve been wise enough to put the Emperor above his fellow Guardian since he was still alive and his partner wasn’t.

 

***

 

“Would you be upset if I died trying to save you?” Danny asked one day. The other Guardians were scattered through the Great Hall while the blonde remained by Brendon’s side.

Brendon turned his head sideways to face him. “Where does this come from?”

“I’m your favourite, you say. Does that mean you’d be upset if I were to die?”

The Emperor arose from his throne and lay a hand on the Guardian’s cheek, gaining a look of adoration from the blonde. “Danny, you’re my new little toy. Of course, I’d be upset to lose you. From the day the Guardians were created, I haven’t spent more than a few hours alone in my life. I don’t think it would be easy if any of them were to disappear but you, my dear, you’ve been with me every minute since you were created. I’ve gotten used to your constant presence. It would be very strange to lose you.”

“You lost Deuce”, Danny replied, no real intention behind the words. He regretted mentioning him when Brendon’s features saddened. “What happened to Deuce was tragic but he made his choice.”

“Choice?”

“Deuce was presented an ultimatum. I need my Guardians’ full attention. They can’t afford to be distracted because a distracted Guardian doesn’t fufill his life purpose. I asked Deuce to shift his focus back onto his mission; keeping me safe and thus breaking off the relationship with Jay. He refused. I had Jay execute him”, Brendon explained. “But you don’t need to worry about that, Danny. I understand you and the Guardians are forming a friendship, a bond that’ll be strong on its own, even if you’re not supposed to care about each other but as long as you never lose sight of your true mission, I won’t tell you not to.”

“It’s my purpose to serve you, sir. I will never abandon that purpose. I’m yours to create and yours to dispose of, but if you would mourn my death then I won’t be careless about my existence.”

“Were you careless before?” Brendon asked, so close to the Guardian he could hear his breath intakes.

“I have no problem dying for you in combat. I’d die for you. But I will live for you too.”

Brendon chuckled. “Oh Danny, you think too much. You have so much left to learn about this life I’ve given you. Just enjoy for now. You made some friends in the Guardians, didn’t you?”

“Of course! They share my cause”, Danny called out.

The Emperor sighed and shook his head. “Protecting me is a job, Danny, not your entire mind.”

“If that’s what you want, sir.”

 

***

 

Months went by with Danny as Brendon’s little favourite Guardian. Danny was treated as a priority in anything the Emperor did. Danny got to accompany him anywhere, never had patrol duty. The blonde never left Brendon’s side because he was his _favourite_.

Until Great King Ryan Ross was removed from his position and Dallon took his place.

“Excuse me?” Brendon asked, but his tone gave away the clear threat in his words. He wasn’t asking. He was giving Danny the chance to change what he had said so they’d forget and move past this whole event but the Guardian wasn’t giving in.

It had been a while since he joined the Guardians and he’d had his fun, not entirely focusing on the job anymore unless it was necessary but he recognized an imminent threat was closing in on Brendon. “You’ve been too friendly with Great King Dallon. You should break that off.”

Charlie poked Danny in the ribs. “The fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Protecting him”, Danny huffed to Charlie before turning back to the Emperor. “Great King Dallon has your heart in his hands, sir. I don’t want to see you get hurt, Your Eminence.”

The Emperor neared Danny and patted his cheek roughly, coming across as intimidating to any normal demon. “What I do with Dallon is none of your damn business, little toy.”

“It is if it’s a safety hazard. I don’t want you near him like that. We can take care of you in every way you want so why would you need a romance? Romances never end well. We have to protect you. Even if the danger is something you don’t see coming”, Danny argued feistily.

The Guardians surrounding him were getting a bit uneasy, knowing Brendon didn’t appreciate anyone meddling in his love life, let alone his favourite little toy. “Is that your jealousy speaking, Danny?”

Danny eyebrows shot upwards in surprise. “What?”

“You were my favourite demon. My little boy toy and now I’ve got someone else to focus on. Is that it?” Brendon asked with a grin, enjoying the flustered look he got from his Guardian. “NO!”

“Then why do you get so defensive when I ask?” Brendon asked, effectively shutting him up. “That’s what I thought. Don’t stick your nose in my business. You are to protect me but you are to obey me as well. Now you will never question my actions again, do you hear me?”

“Yes, sir”, Danny whispered.

“Now get your ass upstairs for patrol duty.”

The conversation wasn’t forgiven and forgotten at all. The Emperor had never looked at Danny the same after those events. He was no longer his favourite, his perfect little Guardian. Now Johnny and Charlie enjoyed that spotlight. Danny never questioned the Emperor again, though he wondered if his words really had been worthy of the punishment he had received.

Not the patrol duty, but the lack of Brendon’s care and attention. He just cast his new Guardian aside like a toy he was sick off.

 

***

 

Andy had laid down the unconscious shape of Danny. The Emperor had closed his eyes when he saw the blood on Andy’s hands when he pulled away from him. His wounds were open and he was still losing blood. After a brief conversation he had dismissed the second knight. He knew his Guardians were anxiously waiting by his side, worried for their friend. Of course they were and of course he knew! He knew his Guardians better than anyone, especially Danny.

He knew Danny was supposed to be replaceable, disposable but after all this time, he still couldn’t think of his most loyal protector like that. He sighed and held up a hand to keep the others at bay. Brendon got up, still commanding his Guardians to remain by the throne while stepping down to where Danny lay. He bent down and let his hand hoover over the blonde’s lifeless face. So peaceful.

Brendon saw the steady rise and fall of his chest and barely allowed himself to sigh relieved. “He’s asleep but alive.”

“Asleep or unconscious?” Jay asked.

The Emperor swiped his thumb slowly over his cheek bone, wiping a stray hair out of his face. Danny’s eyelids fluttered but remained closed. The cut below his hairline vanished within seconds as he stared at it. “Asleep. He’s healing.”

Danny was the only Guardian to possess that ability. Sleep made him heal in no time to make sure he’d never remain wounded long enough for the aggressor to kill the Emperor. “Oh Danny, my poor favourite. We’ll make them pay for this. We’ll punish Alex’ pupil for his crimes in your honour, my dear.”

The Emperor glared back at his Guardians with enough venom for them to understand. “We will make Dustin pay for this, Danny. Your friends will tear off his precious little wings in front of the entire castle.”

Johnny and Charlie cracked a wicked smile, knowing well they would be the ones to carry out the task.

“Jay, take Danny to the medical bay and keep an eye on him, would you? We need him to rest and heal in peace.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jay carried the Guardian away. The Emperor got up from the floor and turned back to his Guardians. “I know Pete did not retrieve him out of free will. I know one of you must’ve asked him to do so and therefore disobeyed my request not to.”

Johnny pursed his lips into a thin line, the others shuffling in place but Brendon shook his head with an expression they couldn’t quite read. “Whoever asked him to, thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel.
> 
> This chapter's title refers to Whatever It Takes by Hollywood Undead since the chapter revolves around Danny. Why did I include this chapter in the story? For one, to help develop Danny's story as he'll return frequently in the next chapters. Two, to tease you all about the Peterick make out of the previous chapter. Three, because I just wanted to show you a blast from the past before Pete's story began.


	17. How My Heart Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I'm updating HU soon but it's the first time I've opened a computer in a week, I think, so bear with me. I'm writing a lot of TOAS tonight, mostly because I know what needs to happen and I'm very excited about it. Other than that, I'd like to finish Puzzle The Pieces as soon as possible and maybe work on a massive one-shot I've got coming up. Enjoy!
> 
> Now, who wants to know what happened the morning after Peterick made out?

_Previously on To Own A Seraphim;_

_An insight on the life of a Guardian, starring the heavily wounded Danny and an unexpected emotional response from Brendon to his return._

 

Pete awoke from the red daylight of Hell shining bright into his room. Patrick hadn’t closed the curtains and it seemed like Pete had forgotten to close them as well. He groaned, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes. He had a headache.

And a hangover.

Though he was warm and comfortable in his bed with his partner. It seemed like he took someone home again after a night at the bar. He opened his eyes with fluttering eyelashes and looked down to find the little angel sound asleep, nested into his arms.

Patrick?

Did he?

Did they…?

He let go of the angel and rolled over but Patrick mewled and scooted closer to spoon him, only his shorter form didn’t allow it properly. He had never acted like that before. Pete broke his head to remember what had happened last night. Did he sleep with Patrick?

No, can’t be. His drunk state wouldn’t have made him put his clothes back on. Or Patrick’s.

If only he could remember!

He wriggled away from the blonde and out of the bed to shrug into some fresh clothes. Stepping out the door, he cast a look over his shoulder at Patrick. The sleeping beauty would do just fine without him, he told himself and he closed the door behind him into the hallway.

He nodded politely at Matt Walst and Neil Anderson on his way downstairs and entered the Great Hall, intending on leaving the castle for a walk. On his walk he’d be able to check out the current missions in his feed without any disturbances. Though before he even reached the gate, the Emperor called for him. “Seeker.”

Pete turned to find him standing below the steps of his throne. The Guardians were nowhere to be found, though that was what they wanted you to think. On closer inspection, Pete could see Dylan lurking in the shadows. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. How had he not noticed him before? Next to the throne on the floor, sat Danny.

The Guardian had his full armor equipped but through the gaps you could see heavy scarring, traces of blades on his skin. Alex really messed him up. He wasn’t fully healed yet but remarkably, he was sitting right there.

“Gadjet equipped Danny with a healing rest so he may never be too wounded to head back into battle. He’s been sleeping since his arrival to heal, said he was fit enough for duty”, Brendon explained Pete’s curious stare as he neared him. “I don’t want to doubt my Guardian’s ability to do what’s best for me so I let him. Despite the fact he can’t even stand on his own.”

There was a flash of something unknown in the Emperor’s eyes but it was gone so quick that Pete must’ve imagined it. “But enough about that. I wanted to thank you for retrieving Danny. His loss was harsh on-on.. my Guardians.”

“It was a bonus, sir”, Pete smiled politely.

Brendon scoffed like he knew it wasn’t just something Pete did in the heat of the moment but said nothing. “What are your plans today?”

“I-I was going to check my feed. Outside. The angel interrupts me too much to think clearly.”

“Don’t bother.”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t jump into work right away”, Brendon said. He looked dead serious but Pete had to be sure. “What? Why.. Why not?”

“You should take the week off.”

Was the Emperor ill?

Brendon smiled at the look on his face and encircled him as he walked. “You’ve been working hard and you’ve proven your loyalty to me by capturing Dustin Bates, the angel who loves you so dearly.”

“I-…”

“Hush.”

Pete shut his mouth and listened instead.

“You’ve betrayed your old friend and it shows you’re truly loyal to me. Though it must’ve hurt to see yesterday’s events. You’re not made of stone after all”, Brendon huffed, hands thrown up.

“Sir, I assure you I don’t-…”

“I know what it’s like to care for someone you’re not supposed to give a shit about”, Brendon interrupted, glancing sideways at the poor Guardian sitting besides his throne. Danny lifted his head, scar running from his bruised black eye down to his chin. He took a hold of the throne to pull himself upright, trembling as he did so. It was the most pathetic thing Pete had ever witnessed until Dylan stepped out of the shadows to help him upright. “Sir, can I call for Matt? Danny should head down to the medical bay for the check-up.”

The Emperor nodded quietly, facing Pete. “Danny heals too quickly so they need to check if he’s re-attaching the right parts and well… break the wrong parts up to piece them back together right.”

There it was again. That unfamiliar expression in his eyes and that tone… Pete could’ve sworn the Emperor was upset over his Guardian. Hadn’t he been the one to let Danny perish in the first place?

“As I said, I know you care for the Seraphim. He was your serving student after all. I want you to take the week off. To get yourself together again. I wouldn’t want any missions going wrong because your head wasn’t in the game.”

Pete remained quiet.

“Now you may speak.”

Pete bowed. “Thank you, Your Eminence. I’ll take the week to make sure I can head back into work well.”

“And do visit Dustin. I’ll turn a blind eye on it. I know you want to but you’re too afraid of what I may think.”

Pete huffed. “I didn’t-… Fine. Thank you, sir.”

“Dismissed”, the Emperor smiled mischievously.

After the strange exchange with the Emperor, Pete still wanted to get some fresh air and sort out some thoughts and missions to make sure he’d be ready once his sudden holiday had passed. He’d visit Dustin after.

It was warm outside – what else do you expect from Hell? – but there was a slight wind keeping him cool. He sighed and walked an even path around the castle, making sure he could not trip on anything in his way as he vanished into demon radio. The Emperor had added a few tasks to his list but none of them were all that bad. A few human souls to reap. Alex’s capturing was on the bottom, clearly to indicate it wasn’t his priority.

Alright, if there were no major events in his feed, he didn’t really have much organizing to do. Human souls were easy to reap, too shocked at the sight of a demon to really retaliate. Satisfied, the seeker finished his walk around the castle and headed back inside, a friendly nod at the Emperor but Brendon was preoccupied, speaking to Matt in hushed tones.

Pete noticed Great King Dallon hadn’t been around for a while now and wondered if it could be because of the issue with the Guardians. He was pretty sure he had seen Dallon amongst the demons in the crowd during Dustin’s punishment so he knew he hadn’t been executed.

Pete continued onwards through the door to the back of the Great Hall and stepped downstairs, past a locked door to the lab and into the medical bay. The place was a ghost town. Usually demons didn’t get hurt enough to end up there. They instantly healed but Dustin had suffered great pain.

The empty beds were scattered through the room. In the far back, sat Dustin. His back turned towards the door and it made Pete halt. The uneven ripple in his skin of splintered bones sided the large slices of raw, burnt skin where the wings should’ve been. Pete didn’t know why but to see his student – former student – in that position, made a slumbering need to protect awake inside him. Sitting boredly besides him, was Charlie, twirling a knife in hand. At the sight of the seeker, Charlie knocked his feet off the table and frowned. “What business do you have here, Seeker?”

Dustin whipped his head around.

“Oh hush, Brendon said I could”, Pete hushed Charlie who visibly relaxed. “The master said so? But why?”

“I think he’s sentimental over caring for Danny and therefore he allows me to care for Dustin”, Pete grinned, wondering if he trusted the Guardians too much to give such a snide remark. He didn’t. Charlie cracked a smile at the comment. “I know, right? Brendon fucking loves Danny to bits. Who wouldn’t? Danny was eager to die protecting him but the Emperor wanted him to live for him instead. Though I thought that all went to hell when he started dating Dallon. No pun intended.”

“Speaking of Dallon. Why is he no longer by Brendon’s side all the time?” Pete asked but Charlie only shrugged. “We don’t meddle in his love life, seeker.”

Pete neared them. Dustin had lowered his eyes, only staring at the floor now. Pete sighed and glanced at Charlie. “Can I speak to Dustin in private?”

Charlie nodded and hopped off his chair to walk away. “I’ll be by the door. Behave.”

When the Guardian left, Dustin finally looked up. “What do you want, Pete?”

“I just wanted to see how you were doing. You think I ever wished harm upon you?”

The angel didn’t look him in the eye. “I don’t know. I prefer not to think anymore because it only circles me back to you.”

“To me?” Pete asked, taking a seat opposite of him. “I am a fallen. You shouldn’t think of me.”

“You were the first and only Archangel to fall and live to tell the tale, Pete. No serving student ever had to change his master, knowing that his true master was still alive. I was born under your wings and I always thought I’d die under them. I want to believe Alex is my master but my loyalty lies with you. Always with you”, Dustin bit, voice straining to hide his pain but Pete could see through it. He looked away. “You summoned me yesterday.”

“I summoned Alex but he can’t hear me through Hell.”

“You summoned me too. I could hear your call. It was tough to resist but you understand why I couldn’t respond, I suppose”, Pete muttered.

Dustin stared at him wide-eyed. “You can still hear my summoning? I’m not crazy then. Our bond is still intact despite your fall. Pete, I am still your student as long as you’re alive!”

“No. You’re an angel. I won’t let you fall on my watch, Dustin”, Pete snarled, Dustin flinched. “I won’t let you make my mistakes.”

“So you admit your fall was a mistake?” Dustin smirked but Pete shook his head. “My fall was not a mistake. Leaving behind what I loved… who I loved, was a mistake. You love Heaven. Leaving it behind would be a mistake to you.”

“Ae you admitting you love me?” Dustin teased and Pete rolled his eyes. “You were always like a little brother to me, Dustin. Of course I loved you.”

“Of course”, Dustin nodded. “Am I the only thing you miss about Heaven then?”

“More or less”, a memory flashed before his eyes but chose to ignore it. Pete had once been a serving Seraphim as well. His bond with his student was still intact but he wondered if it meant the bond with his former master was as well. He didn’t want to think about that now. “I wasn’t happy in the clouds. I always thought there was more out there for me, but you. You’ve found your destiny. You’re destined to become an Archangel so study well and God will grant you your power”, Pete promised.

“But I can’t follow Alex, sir. He’s crooked. I’ll fall if I follow him.”

Pete got up and stepped closer, taking the angel’s hands into his own. Dustin looked up at him. “Listen, my dearest Seraphim, should you return to Heaven, I want you to do something.”

“Anything”, Dustin replied.

“You remember Cody, don’t you?”

“The Archangel with the grey rhombus shapes imprinted on his white wings?”

“Yes, him. I need you to find him and tell him everything. Everything about Alex’ change in behaviour. Cody will understand and he’ll protect you”, Pete promised Dustin and the angel nodded hesitantly. “How do you know he’ll protect me?”

“He owes me a favour”, Pete admitted. “Tell him I sent you and that I’m calling in on the favour. Don’t take this lightly, Dustin, the favour he owes me goes back _ages_.”

Dustin nodded and opened his mouth but Charlie walked in. “Time’s up, guys.”

Pete looked down at the lost angel and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, careful not to touch any of his sore spots on his back. Dustin held onto him for dear life before they broke apart and Pete wordlessly left.

Charlie whistled. “Congratulations. You’re the only being to ever soften Pete Wentz.”

Dustin sighed: “Why doesn’t it feel like that’s a good thing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> This chapter's title reference comes from Right Here Waiting, a song that's a major to minor cover by Chase Holfelder. You can listen to the original but the Chase Holfelder cover has a haunted feeling to it and I like how detached this chapter made me feel while writing it.


	18. The Demon Who Lived

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I want to thank Jenny, the guest comment from like 5min ago, who asked about TOAS. It reminded me that I forgot to post an update for this story! Sorry about that. I'm very much alive, writing plenty of fics for HU these days but I still love this fic to bits so no, I'm not leaving it behind. I'm just trying to split my attention between both. Enjoy!
> 
> Damnit, now Jenny by Nothing More is stuck in my head.
> 
> Also, in italics you'll find literal quotes from the books angels were meant to study in Heaven.

Patrick rolled over, right wing squished under his weight. He groaned as it tingled, falling asleep. The angel opened his eyes, blinking a few times to get used to the light shining into his face. Hell’s red sun stood high in the sky. Too high.

How long had he been out?

OH MY GOD HE KISSED PETE WENTZ.

The realization hit him like a bullet. He groaned and lay on his left side, pulling the duvet over his head in shame. How could he have been so fucking easy? Pete hops on the bed, leans in and Patrick just lets him steal a kiss! More than a kiss, he was pretty sure the demon had copped a feel too. God, damnit!

An angel was supposed to show restraint, not allow anyone who wanted, to put their hands on him because it made him feel _good_. This was not at all what he’d imagined his first kiss would be like.

God.

Forgive him for his lack of restraint. His cheeks burned through the blankets. Wait, Pete wasn’t there.

He looked to the side and found his master absent. He was away. Patrick pushed himself into a sitting position, stretching his arms above his head and wings outward to crack the joints into place. The sound instantly brought him back to yesterday’s events with Dustin Bates. He felt a pang of guilt run through him, letting himself back into the pillows. The poor angel had lost his wings. His beautiful wings!

The Seraphim had been such a perfect being, so damn gorgeous and he had lost his best assets while Patrick got to keep his. The imperfect being got to keep his imperfect wings. He shrunk into himself, idea weighing him down when the doorknob turned.

There was a slight panic in his heart from back when he had met Mikey and Gerard but it was only Pete. The seeker seemed lost in thoughts, grim expression on his face and Patrick didn’t dare to intrude. The brunette didn’t even seem to notice Patrick was awake at all so the angel didn’t move a muscle. This wasn’t a mood he’d appreciate the angel’s presence, he thought.

Pete entered the bathroom and leaned over the sink to stare at himself in the mirror. There was an expression on his face that Patrick couldn’t quite place but it wasn’t anything good, that he knew. Pete glanced his way and Patrick closed his eyes. He didn’t want to be in his vision after last night and his current mood. Let the seeker think he was still resting.

He could hear Pete mutter under his breath. “Our bond is still intact despite my fall. As long as I’m alive, he’s bound to me.”

Patrick opened his eyes to stare at his master who pulled his shirt over his head and turned his back to the mirror. He craned his neck to look at it. There was nothing there and the angel couldn’t help but cock his head curiously. What was he doing?

Pete let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. A transparent shape formed below his shoulder blades out of his spine to materialize as short stumps of bone, no feathers and thin skin covering it but unmistakably the stumps of cut wings. Patrick’s breath hitched at the sight, drawing Pete’s attention. Instantly, the stumps vanished as he neared the bed and put on his shirt. “Are you finally awake?”

“How long was I out?”

“You’ve slept through the entire morning. It’s about lunch time now”, Pete stated, face void of the emotion the angel had spotted only moments before. It was terrifying to watch him turn to stone in only seconds.

Patrick scurried upright in the bed, white wings lowered. He didn’t mind showing them with the seeker around. Something about him being a former angel that assured Patrick he wouldn’t want to try anything funny with them. “So are the knights bringing me brunch then?”

“No, we’re going downstairs to fetch you something and while we’re at it, you might wanna put your clothes in the laundry because your vest is completely soaked in angel blood. It won’t be of any use to you unless you’re planning on summoning Alex”, Pete commented, throwing on a jacket.

Patrick blinked. “Then what will I wear?”

Pete threw him some clothes and neared to switch on the leash of his collar. The closeness made his face heat up. _Just yesterday he was this close to you to kiss you instead. God, shut up._ “I’ll be by the door. Get changed.”

The blonde nodded and watched him leave. He stared at the clothes he’d been given. Surely a black shirt and black skinny jeans. They were far too dark for his likings but he didn’t dare to complain. There was even a pair of black boxers in the mess. He blushed furiously as the idea of wearing Pete’s underwear.

God, he must be ill for thinking about any of that.

He cleared his head with a shake and changed into the fresh fabrics. He barely stopped himself from sniffing it to see if it smelled like the seeker or not. The first days he’d been in Pete’s room, he had noticed the man’s personal smell. It was something he couldn’t describe, didn’t quite smell like his expectations of a demonic stench. He’d expected demons to smell like rotten corpses and death but instead, the scent had been oddly appealing. He had found the smell comforting, returning to the room after the feast.

The smell had always been there but by now, he’d been there for so long that he couldn’t even catch it anymore. He’d sniff and nothing in particular would stand out. Though he noticed the absence of it in the clothes he had received. They reeked of washing machine and ironing. If ironing had a scent, it would be like the black shirt for sure.

Moments later he stared at himself in the life-size mirror next to the bathroom door. He didn’t know what to feel about the sight. It was still his face, his hair, his height and weight, his wings, but the clothes looked foreign and he had to cut up the shirt for his wings to protrude so hopefully Pete hadn’t been too attached to the piece of clothing. He looked like a deformed version of Pete.

There was a knock on the door. “Patrick?”

“Come in”, the blonde replied. The door cracked open to reveal the unreadable face of his demonic captor. He entered and closed the door behind him, looking into the mirror with an astonished expression.

“What? Do I look bad?” Patrick asked, slightly panicked.

Pete set his jaw, surprise gone from his features. He replaced it with a signature smirk. “On the contrary, my little angel, you look stunning. Even in black.”

The angel beamed in response, wings relaxing more outward than he usually allowed. “Like my master.”

The smirk vanished instantly. “Who told you?”

“I-I… No one, sir? You just always dress in black so-…” Patrick stammered but Pete’s angry tone melted. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t think you were referring to- You know what? Never mind.”

The seeker turned his back to the confused angel and walked outside while the blonde was forced to follow because of the leash with each step. What did Pete think he’d been referring to?

He didn’t dare ask. It seemed like Pete’s mood was fickle today. Either he would smile and put on his charm or he’d scowl and bite. He preferred the first, thought that circled him back to last night’s events.

Did Pete remember?

“I can hear you think all the way over here, pet. Give that brain a rest, will you?” Pete chuckled, continuing onward without looking back while the angel trailed behind.

Patrick frowned at the comment. Pete couldn’t read his mind, could he? _If you can read my mind, Pete, give me a sign_.

He awaited the response but the seeker never moved a muscle to reveal he had heard. Damn his paranoia but you could never be too careful with these demons. Especially with the only demon to have been an Archangel in the past. Why would that have been, though?

“Sir?”

“Hm?”

“Why did you survive the fall?”

Pete stopped in his tracks and the angel almost knocked into his back. Though the seeker never replied to his question as he simply moved on, like he hadn’t heard the angel ask but Patrick knew he had heard him!

Downstairs, they passed the Great Hall where they found Brendon with Dallon besides him. It seemed like Dallon had returned to his side, though his other side was occupied by the wounded Guardian, Danny. As soon as the door opened, Danny’s eyes were on them but when they locked onto Pete, he looked about as interested in them as a lazy cat. “Danny’s back.”

Pete hummed in acknowledgement. “He is, but he’s still very weak. Can’t even stand on his own, let alone fight.”

Patrick glanced to the left to see Danny glaring at them. He had _heard_ them, but Pete didn’t care as he stepped into the kitchen. The place was a ghost town since breakfast had ended a long time ago but there was still a lone Great Marshal doing the dishes by himself. “John.”

The bearded demon whipped his head up to glare. “Seeker.”

There was a faint bruise below his jaw, it seemed to be almost faded. “Courtesy to Joe for that bruise, I suppose.”

John smirked. “How’s that black eye of his, Pete?”

“Healed, I believe. Your bruise must’ve been a lot worse if it’s still visible. Did you really lose a fight from a knight?” Pete teased.

The marshal’s face dropped. “What do you want?”

“My little angel woke up a little late. You still have some food left for him?”

Patrick shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the marshal who sighed deeply. “Sure, check the fridge, will you? I was gonna keep it for Korey but it’s nearing lunch time anyway.”

“Thank you”, Pete nodded and led Patrick to the cooling cell to get a small box of leftovers. It wasn’t much. A butter roll, an apple, a bar of chocolate but surely Patrick would enjoy them. He pushed the box into the angel’s hands and continued to a stray table in the kitchen. The marshals would often be too busy making food to eat for themselves so they conveniently took a break one at a time to use the small picknick table. The blonde opened the box and took the apple into his hands. “Thank you.”

Pete waved it off and watched the young angel devour the fruit and the butter roll, leaving the piece of chocolate untouched. He didn’t understand why but something about Patrick’s hesitation to touch the bar told him not to ask about it.

“My wings.”

Patrick looked up slightly startled. It was so adorable to see his eyes grow big, Pete thought. He fixated his eyes onto a scratch on the table so he wouldn’t be distracted by the angel’s attention. “I survived because of my wings.”

“Your wings?”

Patrick didn’t understand. Angels broke their wings when they fell and Pete had mentioned he cut off his wings because he couldn’t stand to stare at the mockery of his once-so-beautiful wings. Now he’d tell him they kept him alive?

“Did you ever hear about my council seat at all?” Pete asked, looking up.

The angel shook his head and Pete smiled to himself. “Then you don’t know about my wings. You don’t know about their beauty. They were a literal gift from God. Not in the sense of “he created all life” but because he personally gave them to me. He trusted me, He said, so he granted me the greatest honour and sin I could’ve ever received.”

Patrick gasped. “You mean you-…”

“I was the bearer of the black wings.”

The angel jumped from his side, more than excited. “YOU are the one I’ve read stories of! The Bearer of The Black Wing! _The serving Seraphim to bow down before God, wingless and bare after sacrificing his beautiful, shining white wings to protect another angel from harm. The pain still vivid in his mind of how The Emperor rid him of flight. Matted and bloodied, the soldier was worthy of the power of the Archangel!”_

Pete rolled his eyes at the dramatic narration but knew Patrick was perfectly quoting the book. He wanted to interrupt but Patrick continued. “ _God had never seen such bravery before! The angel stood up against the prince of darkness to protect one of their own. He valued their life over his own and therefore, God designed his unique wings with a unique ability no other set of wings would ever have!_ ”

“Necromancy.”

The fire in the angel’s shimmering eyes dissolved instantly. He turned around to face Pete. “Necromancy?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“But the books…”, Patrick began. He frowned. “ _The wings were black, both a blessing and a curse, a virtue and a sin. The Archangel would forever be marked as the dark one but his courage and kindness would keep his soul pure and the wings would remain proudly on his back._ ”

Pete gritted his teeth. “So they never specified the _unique_ ability of my wings, did they?”

The angel shook his head. “No, can’t be. The books described the bearer of the black wings to be a hero. An example for generations to follow. No one ever said he was-…”

“A fallen Archangel, raised from death by his wings to become a demon”, Pete grimly stated. “ _His pure soul tainted, his intentions false and the courage he once had withered into arrogance. The fallen was God’s greatest mistake and would always be the one gift of life he’d continue to regret._ The book has a forbidden ending. They don’t let the angels read it because it’s not very _pure_ to read about God’s sole mistake.”

Patrick’s enthusiasm died down as he took a seat at the table again, opposite of Pete. “I never knew. What more secrets will Heaven reveal?”

“One too many at some point and then you’ll finally see its impurity”, Pete growled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> This chapter's title is an obvious reference to Harry Potter's "the boy who lived" cause well... Pete survived while all Archangels are supposed to die in the fall.


	19. Watch Me Light The Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monster: Hi guys! I had no clue it had been almost 7 weeks since I last updated. I was really busy with work and then I got caught up in the Three Days Grace fandom for a bit but no worries, TOAS is still going on. I have big plans for this story. Enjoy!

“Necromancy”, Patrick muttered to himself for the fifteenth time in several minutes while stepping out of the kitchen door. Pete was slowly getting sick of it, but at the same time it made him remember the days he had his beautiful black wings. The only in all of Heaven.

“Did you-…”

Pete sighed loudly, speeding up his pace through the hallway. “No. I never used it.”

The angel had no trouble keeping up with the demon’s stride. “Not even once to-…”

“No, not even once to test the extend of my power”, the seeker glared, standing still in front of the stairs, but Patrick remained unfazed and curious as ever, standing on the bottom step of the stairs. “I would’ve.”

Patrick jumped off and remained levitating. He’d been itching to fly again. The room wasn’t really a fun environment to be stuck in with big, white fluffy wings screaming to fly again. Pete pulled him by his wrist, floating closer. “Are you implying that you, who believed you were a Seraphim of the lord, would go against His will to recreate what He didn’t salvage? Would you break the circle of life and therefore God’s will?”

The blonde dropped to his feet. “Well… if you put it like that. What else could your wings do?”

Pete rolled his eyes. “What? Is necromancy not fancy enough for you?”

“No. Mine heal and self-cleanse. Surely, the great black wings must’ve done more”, Patrick wondered.

“I suppose so. I could blur”, the seeker admitted.

“Blur?”

“Something in between moving too fast for anyone to perceive and teleporting. I could jump small distances or disappear entirely for several seconds to minutes. Very, very useful in close combat. Could’ve used it when I fought off the Emperor”, Pete explained with a smile. It was hard not to reminisce when it came to those things. There were only three things he missed about Heaven; Dustin, his former master Archangel and his wings.

Patrick was on the bottom step again, now as tall as Pete. He leaned forward. “Speaking of. The fight with the Emperor! The story mentions you fought him as a serving Seraphim to protect another angel”, Patrick prodded with a childlike innocence.

Pete shrugged. “Brendon were to harm my master. I couldn’t stand by and watch.”

The blonde’s eyes couldn’t possibly get bigger. “You lost the white wings to save your master? Who was he?”

“Is. Cody Carson. He still owes me a favour for saving his sorry ass back then”, the demon chuckled but the statement reminded him of the danger Dustin was in if he’d stay with Alex.

“Is”, Patrick muttered. “Do you still see him as your master?”

Pete took a step closer, making it nearly impossible for the angel not to look at his face. “An Archangel and their student only part by death. The bond remains intact if both parties are alive. I will always feel a certain kind of submissiveness towards him.”

The truth in the statement had always haunted him. He’d always felt disappointed when thinking about Cody. For all that had happened.

“Have you seen him since the fall?” the blonde asked and Pete shook his head. “I’ve been avoiding him consciously, even if he’d offer me the opportunity to talk. I can’t help but feel guilty over the fact I let him down. He taught me everything and I threw it out the window. I’m sure he only wants to talk to scold me.”

“I don’t think he’d scold you.”

Pete furrowed his eyebrows. “Because you don’t know him like I do.”

The angel was smart enough to drop the subject and spun around to look into the Great Hall. Brendon was there, standing below the steps of the throne, talking to Dallon. All of his Guardians surrounded him, including Danny. The wounded Guardian was shielded by his friends in the back, almost to protect him.

“Do you think we’d be allowed to leave the castle?”

Pete raised an eyebrow. “Probably not. The elite of the castle knows not to intervene with Brendon’s business, you, but the warrior class? I bet they’d love to fuck up everything.”

“It couldn’t hurt to ask”, Patrick pouted but Pete only stared at him blankly. “No.”

The angel scoffed and made his wings vanish. “Then I’ll ask him MYSELF!”

He strode into the Great Hall with a confidence that made Pete shake his head. He was so unpredictable sometimes and it made Pete wonder if that were the reason he was so fond of the Nephalem. If Patrick were the reason Pete’s past was catching up on him.

Years of solitude, hunting down the essentials to climb the social ladder of Hell. He had avoided any Archangels and serving Seraphim. Avoided all that reminded him of the life he once had. He hadn’t seen Dustin or Cody since the fall, despite their attempts to reach out in secrecy.

He had shut out all of Heaven before Patrick appeared on his feed. Why was he susceptible to his past now? He didn’t like to remember. The past was the past and he could no longer go back anyway so why remember it?

Patrick’s confidence was dissolving when he neared the Emperor and even more so when Brendon set his eyes on him, Dallon peering boredly at him. Sometimes Pete wondered if Dallon cared about anything other than Brendon in this world. It was so obvious how his attention was always caught by the Emperor.

Both Jay and Dylan by his side braced themselves for a threat, one foot forward and ready to strike Patrick down before he could even _think_ about harming their master. It was a creepy sight, but Patick shrugged it off and resumed his way to the Emperor.

Until he bumped harshly into a wall. He fell backwards on the floor, some of the Guardians chuckling to his horror. He scurried back upright to find no wall there. What had he ran into?

Pete could see Charlie squinting his eyes, clawed hand stretched out to Patrick. “That’s close enough, Nephalem.”

Charlie was _causing_ the invisible wall, but how?

 _Gadjet equipped Danny with a healing rest_.

What else was Gadjet capable of giving these Guardians?

Brendon glanced at Charlie. “Come now, Charlie, let the little angel come through.”

The Guardian relaxed but his eyes remained slits. The invisible wall quivered in the light and then it was gone. The forcefield was gone. Patrick carefully stepped through.

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Patrick?”

The Nephalem’s words got stuck in his throat. He looked like a frightened rabbit, especially since the forcefield knocked the courage out of him. Pete let his head fall back in a sigh and ran after the little angel into the Great Hall, mouthing a “why me?” to himself. “Apologies, Your Eminence, he’s a bit shy, especially after the stunt Charlie just pulled on him.”

The Guardian shrugged with a predatory smile. “Live to protect.”

“What our Nephalem wanted to ask you”, Pete resumed with a glare to the Guardian. “was permission to leave the castle. Winged creatures usually don’t lock themselves into a room for a week.”

Brendon hummed and Dallon didn’t even supress his amused smile. “It’s not paradise, Pete. What Patrick desires, is not our problem.”

“It is if it could be detrimental to the wing muscles to remain folded for so long”, Pete bit to Dallon. “When the big plan arrives, he might get cramps and that would be _very_ inconvenient, wouldn’t it?”

Brendon chuckled and put an arm around Dallon’s shoulders. “You make a very strong case, Pete. Well played. I’ve never seen anyone shut Dallon up so quickly. I will allow it this time, but I want one of my Guardians to accompany you. I don’t expect you to be able to capture Patrick by yourself, should he try anything funny with you.”

The Emperor turned to his Guardians, Charlie and Johnny clearly stepping closer as it would always be one of them, though Brendon called; “Take Danny.”

“Danny?!” Charlie called out. “Sir, are you insa-…”

Brendon glared at him and the Guardian wisely shut his mouth. “If Danny says he’s _fit for duty_ , then he will prove it by doing whatever I ask of him. Isn’t that right, Danny?”

The blonde nodded in silence. He limped forward, cursing his left leg for it but at least he could walk on his own again. After what Alex did to him, he was surprised he lived to tell the tale. He took cold comfort in the fact Alex would fall from Grace because of the things he had done to the Guardian. The fall may not be final yet, but the process had begun. He’d shed plenty of feathers in the cage with Danny. He shut his eyes tightly, pushing away the memories. “After you, seeker.”

Pete grabbed Patrick’s arm and pulled him along. The Nephalem was still shaking too much to speak. So much for his confidence. “Come on, softy.”

Patrick huffed and followed, glancing back at the Guardians to find them smiling, fangs sharp as ever. Though Danny’s smile was genuine, likely the first time ever to see one of those on his face.

The hall led them outside the gates. As soon as Hell’s fresh air reached them, Patrick spread his wings to full width. The impressive white feathers glowing against the red sunlight. They moved downward to launch him into the air but the leash pulled him back harshly. He hit the ground with a harsh smack. Pete couldn’t help but laugh. Patrick groaned and pushed himself upright. “Master!”

“Sorry, I’ll lengthen it”, Pete grinned. He kneeled down in front of the angel, now in a sitting position and pressed a few buttons on the collar. “Thank Gadjet for this collar, huh? Imagine if I had to use rope.”

“Can’t he switch it off?” Danny asked. Pete looked back at the Guardian. “It only responds to my touch.”

“Oh.”

Pete got up and gestured for the angel to fly. Patrick dusted himself off and set off with a glare. Dust around them whipped up as he flew. Danny stepped closer to stand beside the seeker. He didn’t speak, arms folded to watch the angel spin freely in the sky. Pete took a deep breath. “What an experience it must be to be so free.”

Danny whipped his head sideways with a confused expression. “You are free.”

“No, I’m not. We both aren’t. I can never return to the place I once called home where I wasn’t even happy and in Hell, I’m obliged to fulfil the Emperor’s wishes and never speak out of place.”

“My life purpose is fulfilling his wishes and I’ve always happily obliged”, Danny bit, “Though his latest wish left me confused. How could he wish for my demise?”

“You know about that?” Pete asked. “I don’t think it was personal. He’s just-…”

“I know”, Danny cut him off, jaw tight so Pete shrugged it off. “I don’t need you to justify his actions.”

They watched Patrick fly carelessly, high above, soaring the sky.

“Sorry”, the blonde mused. “And thank you for saving me. I don’t know what to believe after what happened but my mind is programmed to dismiss anything that might mess with my loyalty to Brendon’s life.”

Pete nodded. “Like I said, what an experience it must be to be so free.”

“Or loved”, Danny murmured, looking away. “Brendon loved me a long time ago. Then I got jealous of Great King Dallon and opened my mouth about it. I should’ve kept it shut. Maybe Brendon would’ve never…”

“You can’t live in regret. What you did, is in the past and just because you were jealous, doesn’t mean Brendon can treat you like shit. Besides, he cares a lot about you. I’ve seen the look on his face when he watches you limp. It’s not annoyance”, Pete reassured the Guardian, a careful hand on his shoulder. Danny stared at it venomously but the expression faded into an insecure gaze. “You have?”

“Promise.”

“Thank you, seeker”, Danny smiled. “I needed that. My friends may tell me Brendon still cares but of course they do. They don’t want me to go rogue after all.”

“Would you go rogue, then?”

The blonde blinked in surprise. “I-I didn’t mean to imply… I don’t even know why I said that. Where did that come from?”

Patrick landed in front of them with the brightest smile Pete had ever seen on his Nephalem. He liked to see his angel happy and a familiar churn in his stomach reminded him to stop thinking stuff like that. _Patrick is your pet._

“I needed the air. You have no idea what it’s like to have these wings and not be able to fly!” the angel exclaimed to Pete’s horror.

His face turned grim. “I do know what it’s like to have all this room and no wings to fly.”

Patrick’s smile melted off his face. “Sir, I didn’t mean to…”

“Never mind.”

The Nephalem looked at Danny who only shrugged in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they're our heavy fuel!
> 
> This chapter's title comes from Thousand Foot Krutch's Light Up The Sky because... well... the first sentence is literally "watch me light the sky" and most of this chapter is about Patrick soaring the sky.


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